InuYasha: Dark Passages
by Compulsive Writer
Summary: Naraku makes a vicious bid to end the confrontation for the Shikon jewel. Amidst a sea of heartaching sacrifise, InuYasha begins the most difficult journey of his life, a quest he must make utterly alone.
1. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

The spectacle was one that demanded attention, a fiery display of passion the likes of which Kagome had never seen. From the beginning, she had let her curiosity get the better of her, as was almost customary whenever she found herself in the Japanese feudal era. Now she stood at the bottom of a temple she had never seen before, drawn into a full-fledged royal union that would ensure the growth of a kingdom. The wide-eyed schoolgirl could barely remain on her feet as she gazed up to the couple descending the stairs, lost in a crowd of hundreds of spectators here to worship their young lord who had only just taken a young peasant girl as his bride.

As they shared their first public kiss, stars of wonder filled Kagome's dark eyes and she clasped her hands together. "Oh, wow," the girl whispered, inspired by the remarkable event she had just witnessed. "Isn't it wonderful InuYasha?"

"Feh." Kagome gave him a look, but Sango, the demon exterminator and Kagome's cherished friend, took her hand and ceased any comment before it could brew into a full-fledged insult. The half-demon would have snapped if not for the large crowd that surrounded him from every angle, and Sango thought she should save her friends the embarrassment. The half-demon hunched over, let his arms sink deeper into the folds of the sleeves of his red fire-rat clothes, and continued to brood. He had never been comfortable around humans, and this event was no exception, despite the aid he and the others had offered these people over the past few days. These people might now worship him for saving their beloved lord and his young bride, but that didn't mean he had to like them in return.

Kagome sighed. In all honesty, she knew better than to press him. InuYasha was just being grumpy because he didn't at all care for the attention, and with the knowledge of his troubled past, she decided she really couldn't blame him. She knew it was difficult enough for him just to be here, amongst the very people who had run from him not so long ago, before they knew who the poor guy truly was. They still didn't understand him, but he was their hero for bringing peace to the realm once more. It was ironic that such a person built for battle, human or demon alike, could inspire peace.

She still couldn't get used to his resentment toward his human heritage. It wasn't easy watching InuYasha brood to himself whenever something reminded him that while he wasn't as vulnerable as a human being, he wasn't a full-fledged demon either, and that just meant that he would never quite fit in either way.

Kagome cast aside her present worries as Lord Haranobu Nishi and his new bride, Lady Mino, arrived at the bottom of the temple steps—several paces in front of her friend, the lecherous monk, Miroku, who had honored the newly-weds by overseeing their union—to greet their honored guests. She allowed the young lord to tenderly kiss the knuckles of her right hand and eagerly accepted Mino's affectionate hug.

"Lady Kagome, please, bless us with your presence for one more day," Lord Haranobu pleaded. "I still do not believe we have properly expressed our gratitude for all the help you and your friends have bestowed us."

Kagome glowed at the Lord's request, but grimaced at the evident grunt that InuYasha tried unsuccessfully to disguise as a rather loud clearing of his throat. She shot a look at him out of the corner of her eye and then looked back to the couple regretfully. "I'm afraid we can't stay a moment longer," she said. "It sounds tempting, but we have obligations and we really have to on. But believe me, we are all so grateful for your warmth and hospitality. It is an honor to have you as a friend."

"Yes. What Kagome says is true," Miroku said. He stepped next to InuYasha, a bright smile on his face. InuYasha snorted again, no doubt sick of the pleasantries. Kagome knew that he was about to blow his stack; she had to find a way to get them out of the village as quickly as possible. Before she could say anything, the monk continued: "Even in a world sullied by war, there are those of us who will always be your allies. No one is without friends, whether one believes it or not."

"Yes," Haranobu agreed with a nod of his head. "We are a humble people, dear monk. We will not repeat the mistakes of the past."

Mino smiled brightly and threw herself into the monk's arms. "Oh, thank you so much, Miroku! I have cherished our time together." Next, she hugged Kagome, kissing her cheek before offering the same to Sango, and bid Kirara a fond farewell with a scratch behind the fire-cat's ears. Finally, she turned to the silver-haired half-demon before her, who seemed to brood further with each passing moment. "And you too, InuYasha." Instead of a hug, she simply took one the half-demon's hand and held it in hers, emerald eyes sparkled up at him with respect. InuYasha blinked and then nodded, but would say nothing in departure.

Kagome wished he would say something, anything, but she understood the torment he was going through. These people had wanted to blame him for the terrible things that happened to Mino's guards and for her disappearance, and he couldn't even defend his name without raising Tetsusaiga. Miroku, thankfully, took InuYasha's place at center stage. "As Kagome said, we mustn't put off our prior obligations any longer. Good luck to you both, and to your people as well. May you lead a long and healthful life together."

Haranobu bowed his head. "Good journey to you all. We are truly and deeply in your debt, my friends. I hope one day you can call on us to repay you."

Kagome smiled. "I only hope next time will come under happier circumstances."

"As do we all, Lady Kagome."

"It's about damn time."

* * *

InuYasha trudged several paces ahead of the others. This was something he didn't do often, but he was more than willing to lead his friends out of a stink-infested village filled to the brim with hypocrites and bigots who could turn on anyone, friend or foe, in an instant just because they were different. While he had been eager to fight and kill the wretched from demon that had held those poor bastards in the palm of his hand for so long, he was not so keen on the abrupt about-face they had pulled on him once they had discovered he was nothing more than a half-breed with morals.

Kagome and the others followed several paces behind, unable to find words that might bring their friend out of his dark and silent brooding. Shippo, who had the best ears of the group not counting InuYasha or Kirara, was distracted by the new toy that Lord Haranobu's young niece had offered him as a parting gift. That suited the half-demon just fine, because he didn't really give a damn about what the others thought of him at the present.

He let his thoughts turn to the matter at hand. A week ago, they had caught wind of a possible jewel shard to the south of Haranobu's land, in a forest known and feared for the heinous demons that were rumored to rule the realm. InuYasha had never been to the Hollow Wood, as they were called, but he'd heard several accounts of people who had slipped into the darkness, never to be heard from again.

InuYasha grunted to himself. The world was full of such legends, and InuYasha only knew a few truths to ever be as bad as the story. He rested one hand loosely against the end of the hilt of his sword, ready to draw it at a moment's notice. The gang was only about a mile away from the village, and he still didn't trust some of Haranobu's troops to leave them be, especially after the hell they'd put him through over the last three days.

He sighed, wondering if he would ever be able to let go of his suffering. Haranobu and the others had, in the end, acknowledged that he wasn't who they thought him to be, but that didn't mean the pain was any less. It was all just one fiasco after another, and further proof that he belonged nowhere near the human race.

Well, at least regarding most. Three humans had come to respect him for who he was, and had shown him how much they did care. He knew he was no mere half-breed in their eyes. Indeed, around them, InuYasha felt like a whole individual, something he had never felt when he was out there on his own. Here, among his friends, he felt needed. His amber eyes shifted to the crystal clear sky. There was not a cloud to be seen, and the heat of sun hammered down on them relentlessly. He had expected his companions to be bitching up a storm by now, but they said nothing. In fact, it had been strangely quiet since they had left the village.

It was Sango who broke the silence: "I've never been so far south before."

"None of us have," Miroku replied. "With the exception of Kirara, perhaps."

The half-demon snorted at that, slipping deeper into the somber quiet that engulfed him

"InuYasha, is something wrong?"

"You tell me, Miroku," the half-demon replied. He turned and eyed the three of them. Even Shippo had paused in his play to eye InuYasha with a mixture of curiosity and concern. "I'm just tryin' to enjoy the peace and quiet."

Miroku smiled and nodded. "I understand. It isn't often we have the opportunity to enjoy such a serene setting."

"Forget about it. Let's just keep moving." The others watched after him as he put some distance between them.

"What's with him?" the demon-slayer asked.

Kagome frowned. "I'm not sure."

"Maybe InuYasha's just glad to be on the road again," Shippo suggested.

"That is true," Miroku agreed. "We spent a lot of time in Haranobu's castle. He's probably glad to be rid of the distractions."

"I guess the air _is _a bit cleaner out here," Kagome added.

It seemed a logical conclusion to the little mystery their half-demon friend had left them to solve. Satisfied—at least for the moment—they trudged on after their friend, who forced them to pick up the pace in order to keep up with him. _InuYasha's must think we're moving at a snail's pace right now, _Kagome thought. _I guess we're lucky he wouldn't really just leave us behind. It can't be easy on him. _InuYasha had a body built for speed and power, a dangerous combination even for a half-demon. In retrospect of their brief history together, Kagome knew most full-fledged demons were hardly a match for him. She had a feeling it was his friends who really made life challenging.

"You guys comin' or what?"

"We're right behind you! You could try and show some patience for one!"

"Whatever." He turned a cautious eye to the road ahead. "Look, I just want get to the forest before there are any more distractions. We don't have time to stop and smell the flowers."

Kagome seethed at him, but Sango took her arm and halted any insult before it could be uttered. "How much further till we reach the forest, InuYasha?" the demon-slayer asked.

"Close. Half a day, I s'pose. Maybe more."

"Then let's get moving," Kagome said through a forced smile and started out once more. InuYasha huffed at her but nothing more was said. At least they were on the move again. He stuffed his hands into his sleeves and fell in line behind the girl from the future.

After a time, Shippo's face peered around Kagome's waist from his spot in the basket of her bike. "InuYasha, haven't you ever been to the Hollow Wood before?"

InuYasha had an almost thoughtful expression on his face as he considered the question. "Nah. Never much of a reason to. Besides, the locals prob'ly don't take kindly to half-demons."

"Prob'ly not," Kagome agreed. Her tone was calm now; she knew InuYasha was still edgy after their experience with Lord Habanoru's people. _No one understands him. The poor guy. We're the only friends he really has; he trusts us. But we still have to earn that trust, don't we, InuYasha?_

She wondered what that trust might mean to their mission. She trusted InuYasha to defend her, trusted him to defend them all. Most of all, she believed in him, knew that he could confront any challenge and beat it despite the odds, and he would do just that so long as he had the strength and desire. Kagome never doubted him, though there were times she had come to question his judgment.

For now, he seemed relaxed. Seeing InuYasha so calm while stepping into the unknown was soothing in many ways. He was hardly like the irrational, unforgiving ruffian she had freed from the Sacred Tree in the forest that shared his name, not long after the first time she had crossed the threshold into feudal Japan. That he had regained that calm shortly after the brewing of a potential argument seemed a good sign.

While Kagome couldn't be certain how long their most recent mission would take, she had suggested that they be as careful in their approach as the world possibly let them. Intentionally, they had waited to leave Kaede's village on the day following the night of the New Moon. Kagome had insisted InuYasha join her in her own time while he was trapped in his human form, so he could hide in peace and regain the strength expended during the past month. They were midway into the autumn months, and Kagome seldom spent time with her family in the future era. It had been decided that the night InuYasha lost his demonic powers would be a great time for Kagome to visit home, where a home-cooked meal and a warm bed awaited. In the meantime, she had showed him how to gather and purchase supplies and together they had returned to the feudal era by daybreak.

Kagome had to smile. Taking InuYasha through a twenty-four hour retail outlet had been entertaining enough, despite the fact she had him cussing up a blue streak and storming out the door before they had finished shopping. _I'll teach him yet,_ she thought. _One day he'll have to go back on his own to get supplies._

"Kagome?"

She blinked and turned her attention to the little fox demon. "Yes, Shippo?"

"I'm hungry."

The girl frowned. "What do you mean? Didn't you eat back at the castle?"

"Well, I _was_ kinda distracted."

InuYasha grunted. "He could hardly keep his eyes off Haranobu's niece."

Shippo blushed. "It wasn't like that."

"Oh, yeah it was, runt. Ya can't fool me."

The fox demon turned away, crossing his arms. "What would you know?" he muttered, and everyone around knew that it wasn't a question. "You're starin' at Kagome all the time and with you two, it's _never_ like that."

Kagome gasped, her hand going to her mouth.

"_What!_" InuYasha turned on the kid in an instant, towering over him. "What the hell would you know about it, anyway? You're just a kid!"

Shippo just sat there, hunched over his new toy, not so much as looking up to his friends. For a long moment, they just stood there, peering down at the young fox demon as they considered what move to make next. There was a foul look on his face. It hurt Kagome to see the boy so troubled, but she didn't say anything. Even InuYasha looked confused at the abrupt end to the exchange.

Scratching the nape of his neck, Miroku drew a slow breath. "We don't have much further to travel. Let's work to reach the forest by nightfall." After a quiet moment, InuYasha nodded and started back on the path to the south. Kagome, Miroku, and Sango followed, the bike between them. For some time after that, not another word was spoken.


	2. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

Naraku would have given anything for this moment. He would even have accepted mortality to have this very opportunity. Perhaps that was the most frustrating circumstance to the unexpected journey InuYasha and his companions had taken, heading south along the trail that would take them further from civilization. He had watched muc of their journey together through the Kanna's mirror, and he had grown certain that they were a willing company, and not merely a team driven by desire to reach yet another rumored jewel shard within the Hollow Wood.

It was all very intriguing. For Naraku, it would have been the perfect moment to strike… but he had other plans for InuYasha. It was lucky that he was a patient demon, so unlike that meddlesome half-breed. A grin spread slowly over his handsome face. "Kagura."

From the shadows, the slender figure of the wind sorceress appeared. Slowly, she lowered her head in a gesture of obedience. "Yes, Master?"

One eye narrowed ever so slightly as he gazed upon his reincarnation.

"I have a job for you."

She lifted her crimson gaze to his. "As you wish."

* * *

Auron's entire body twitched as the bucketful of ice-cold water splashed mercilessly against his naked flesh. Dark eyes shot open and instantly began scanning the area for signs of the perpetrator, only to find nothing but the darkness that surrounded him. He knew, though, he was not alone. Despite his poor eyesight he had a very acute sense of smell, and a familiar smell infuriated him. A low growl originated from deep in his throat and reverberated from the room and down the corridor.

"You," he hissed as recognition took hold.

"Auron." She gave a slight bow of her head. "Naraku has big plans for you."

Powerful arms rose and he set the palms of his hands against the cold, stone floor. With a grunt the beast lifted himself several inches. "I am not his puppet," Auron growled, sifting his dark eyes through the shadows to no avail.

"I'm afraid you have no say in the matter."

"Bitch!" Spittle flew from the beasts fangs as he lurched forward. Kagura smirked as the chain around Auron's neck went taut and yanked him back to the floor. With a flick of the wrist, she opened her fan and batted her long eyelashes at the monster.

"Patience, Auron. You must save your strength for the task at hand."

"I'll never serve that knave!"

Kagura sighed and pulled the pouch from her belt. "As I have already said, the choice isn't yours. You will serve, or die."

"I don't answer to threats, wench."

Kagura pulled the cork from the lip of the pouch, allowing the scent of the contents to saturate the air. Grimacing at the stench, she held fast as every muscle in Auron's bulky body stiffened. His jaws fell open and a wail of pain ripped the halls with terrifying savagery. Kagura's entire body ached at the deafening sound.

What had Naraku done to this poor bastard?

* * *

"It's about time!" Shippo announced as he eagerly accepted the bowl of Ramen from Kagome and hungrily began draining the broth into his gullet, barely coming up for air even as he started slurping up noodles. The others stood over him, sharing looks of surprise as the little fox demon ate. Though he had said how hungry he was earlier in the day, they had never expected this. "Thanks Kagome!" he said between chews. "This is _really _yummy!" He swallowed. "I'm starving!"

"Hey, don't eat so fast," InuYasha said. "You're gonna be sick."

"Am not!" Shippo took a moment to make a grab for a small stack of crackers.

Kagome slapped his little paw gently. "Shippo! He's right, you know. You're eating way too fast. Chew slowly and take smaller bites." He gave her a dirty look but ultimately surrendered with a quick nod. The girl smiled as he took her advise. "Besides, how can you expect to savor your dinner if it's gone before you realize it?"

As she turned to hand out two more bowls for InuYasha and Miroku, she saw that they had already helped themself, devouring the food without a second thought. She shook her head. _Idiots. It's really no wonder why Shippo eats like a slob; these two are the two male influences in his life right now. _She rose and headed over to Sango. "Are you sure you don't want any?"

The demon-slayer shook her head slowly, but she didn't say anything. Kagome smiled sadly and slipped Kirara a chunk of beef jerky and or herself took an apple from her pack and a few crackers. They watched her for a moment but said nothing as she snapped off a chunk of the fruit's sweet flesh with her teeth. Chewing thoughtfully, she turned her gaze to her demon hunter friend, who was still distracted following their grim discovery after the battle with the frog demon. Kagome wasn't so hungry anymore.

It didn't take a rocket scientist to know the source of Sango's pain. Kagome hated seeing her friends suffer, but she didn't know exactly what to make of the situation. The demon-slayer's fingers skimmed lightly over the screen of the face-guard of a demon-slayer's mask, an exact duplicate of her own. Kagome reached out and touched her friend's hand, offering a sympathetic smile.

"I'm all right." She wasn't really, and the others knew it. She was thinking of her brother, now a mindless slave of Naraku. Kohaku had worn a similar mask, and finding this one worried her. In truth, it worried them all. It was just the type of game Naraku loved to play. He had done so before, sending Kohaku to kill Kagome, allowing him to retain his memories, however briefly, in order to turn him against them, and again when he faked his own death at their hands, just so that he could rid himself of the sinister Kaguya. All the more reason, of course, to make sure Naraku never hurt anyone again. A difficult task, but one they were determined to see through to the end.

Kagome ached for Sango. Kohaku seemed like a fine young man, though she'd never known the _true_ Kohaku, the brother Sango held so dear. When she had met him, he'd lost his memory and been trapped in Naraku's web of lies. _Poor Sango,_ Kagome thought. _I've never lost a brother. Dad died before Sota was even born; I hardly remember him at all. Still, it wasn't all that long ago Sango lost her whole family…her people. I couldn't begin to imagine the pain she must be going through._ She glanced to InuYasha, then Shippo, and finally Miroku, and realized that they had all suffered the indignities of a cruel world. InuYasha had lost his parents ages ago, and his half-brother was more of an enemy to him than anything else. Life couldn't possibly have been easy on him, a half-demon without someone to lean on. Miroku, as far as she knew, was also completely alone in the world, save Hachi, if not for his friends, and even little Shippo had lost his father to the evil tendencies of the thunder demon tribe. And what of Kirara? What life had the fire-cat experienced before becoming best friend and guardian of Sango? _There really is so much I don't know about my friends,_ Kagome realized. _Maybe it's time to get to know them before it's too late._

She got to her feet and strolled over to her bike, lifting her bow and quiver from the rack and slid it into place over her left shoulder. The others watched her with curiosity as she headed over to Sango's side and peered into the steadily growing darkness.

"Where ya goin' Kagome?" InuYasha demanded.

"Sango and I are going for a walk," she replied. She looked over to her friend and smiled. "Come on. We need to talk."

"Talk?" Sango asked hesitantly.

"Trust me, girl, we _need_ to talk." Kagome smiled as she reached down for Sango's hand. The guys just sat there, waiting to see how the demon-slayer would respond. It was apparent she wanted time to be on her own, but Kagome knew from experience that it wasn't always the best thing to do to close in your emotions, especially when there were plenty of shoulders to lean on. "Come on, Sango. I don't bite."

The older girl smiled meekly. "Okay. I'm game." With Kagome's aid, she pushed herself to her feet and, after gathering her Hiraikotsu, they started away from camp. "Come, Kirara." The demon cat accepted the invitation eagerly, scurrying after the girls.

As Kagome expected, InuYasha's indignant voice followed after them. "Hey, you two don't go too far!"

"Don't worry about us," Kagome said, leaving the guys to watch after them as they disappeared into the forest under Kirara's watch. "We won't go far."

Besides, she was pretty sure they could take care of themselves.

* * *

"Answer me a question?"

Kagome glanced to her friend, a little surprised Sango had been the one to initiate the conversation. There was so much she had hoped to talk with her friend about, but she hadn't yet decided how to begin. She wanted desperately to talk from the beginning, to know what kind of childhood she had experienced, to understand what it was like growing up to be a warrior in an era she didn't even understand. What had her family been like? Who was the real Kohaku? How had she come to meet Kirara? There was so much to learn, and Kagome longed to understand. Afterwards, Kagome planned to share the intricacies of her life before coming to the feudal era.

"Anything," she said, cheerful and nervous at the same time.

"How do you do it?" Kagome blinked at somber tone of her friend's voice. She didn't understand the question at first, and waited for an elaboration. She didn't wait long. "You've been with InuYasha since you freed him from the sacred tree…"

_Oh Sango, don't go there. Please, anything but that…_

"There's a lot I don't understand. You really have no reason to be here. Of all of us, you are the one who has nothing to gain and everything to lose. You don't need the Shikon jewel, you don't have a cursed hand, and Naraku doesn't possess anything that belongs to you. I'm grateful that you want to be with us, and I can't see it any other way, but that doesn't mean I understand why."

Kagome smiled sympathetically. "But he does possess something that affects me personally. He holds the future of my friends in the palm of his hand, and that's all the reason I need."

They fell silent for a time, continuing their walk through the forest. Kagome was admittedly a little uncomfortable with the situation, but she felt like she could tell Sango _anything_. Sango was like a sister to her, and they cared deeply for one another's well-being. Seeing her friend in pain tortured her more than if the pain had been her own.

"It's not the same," Sango whispered after a time. She rested a hand on Kirara's nape and scratched the soft fur behind her ears. Kagome frowned. "It's difficult, I know. You barely spend any time at home with your family. But InuYasha, he makes it more difficult on you than I could imagine."

"No, he doesn't. I'm not here because he asked me. If it were up to him I'm sure I would have left you guys ages ago. I'm here because this is where I choose to be." She smiled to Sango. "I choose to be with my friends. You're my family too."

Sango cast her a sidelong glance. "You really see us that way?"

Kagome nodded. "Mm hmm. Absolutely."

More silence. Sango stared to the path ahead as she considered the exchange. The night air was cool against their cheeks, as a northerly wind drifted gently through the trees. It reminded Kagome winter was just a few short weeks away, and with it would come the long, cold nights. She dreaded winter in the feudal era, but InuYasha needed her here. She wanted to be here. It was all just a matter of consequence, and here, she could make a difference in so many lives. On the other side, in her own time, she could only improve herself. How could she ever be a better person if she turned away from the most important life she had ever known?

It occurred to Kagome that she viewed her experiences in the feudal era as an opportunity to mold herself into the person she longed to be. Back home, she knew her mother and Sota and Grandpa cared desperately for her, but she had never been happier then she was when she was here, at InuYasha's side. Here, she was important, not only to her friends but also in the grand scheme of existence. What would the world become if Naraku was allowed to collect all the jewel shards, seize power throughout Japan, and mold the world in his own terrifying image? It was her job to help her friends find the shards and see to it that Naraku didn't have that opportunity. In essence, she was, by choice, exactly what she didn't want to be: a shard detector.

The girls and Kirara strolled along a narrow path that ran through the forest, knowing that they were drifting further away from the camp with each step. Kirara seemed at ease, so girls weren't concerned about the dangers that could be lurking around any corner. The fire-cat would alert them long before any demon or bandit could even consider confronting them. However, they knew that it would soon be dark, as the sky had already dimmed to a lovely bluish-purple. High overhead, the first sign of a star appeared as a faint twinkling light, no larger to the naked eye than a grain of sand.

"We should head back," Kagome said. "The other's will be worried."

"Wait, Kagome…"

She beamed over at her friend. "Yeah?"

Sango watched her somberly for a long moment before taking a step forward, peering down into her friend's eyes. "You really mean what you said, don't you?"

"About what?"

"That we're family?"

Kagome blinked, and then nodded. "Of course I do. That's what I said, isn't it?" A loving smile crept across her features. There wasn't a need to say anything more. The demon-slayer stood limply before her as they stared into one another's eyes for several long moments, as nightfall arrived and cast them in deep, purple shadows.

"That means a lot to me," she whispered finally.

Kagome blushed as she found herself lost in Sango's tight embrace. Even before she heard the soft sob escaping her friend's throat, she could feel the trickle of tears against her neck. _Poor girl. She's lost so much. She deserves so much better than this hell she's living._ Slowly, Kagome allowed her arms to cradle Sango to her chest. They stood there for a long while before they finally decided to head back to the safety of the camp. As they walked back down the path toward the safety of their makeshift camp, Sango revealed the truth everyone already knew.

"I miss him."

_Kohaku. _Kagome sighed. "Yeah, I know." _We're gonna to get him back, Sango, just wait and see. Together, we can accomplish anything._

* * *

A soft breeze tousled InuYasha's long, silver hair as he stared to the stars, lost in the shadows of doubt as he considered the events of the past four days. It had begun with a seemingly harmless journey, starting south of Kaede's village toward a forest where few dared to venture. But then, barely three days into their journey, InuYasha had caught wind of human blood. A lot of blood. Fearful of the loss of life, Kagome and Miroku had insisted on checking it out, despite InuYasha's insistence that they could do nothing for dead men.

When they discovered the scene—the remains of a royal convoy attacked in the middle of a journey, where a dozen guards had been torn to bits trying to protect whomever it was they were guarding—they were rudely greeted by forces of a Haranobu's legion. InuYasha had fought to defend, injuring six soldiers before Haranobu saw the girl he believed to be the priestess, Kikyo.

Again, a case of mistaken identity had saved InuYasha and his friends from anything more terrible than a rough skirmish. With Miroku's help, Kagome, though it took some rather insistent explaining on her part, managed to convince the young lord of a rather old, albeit small, land that she was not Kikyo. They had eventually accepted the truth, including the part that InuYasha had not been responsible for the brutal assault on his men. The fighting ceased with little more than a few cuts, scrapes, and bruises—though InuYasha would rather have torn every last one of them to shreds for their indignities toward himself and his friends. In the end, Miroku decided it was up to them to locate and rescue the young fiancée of Haranobu, and they had set off on their little detour despite InuYasha's protests. While most of Haranobu's men—hell, including the prince himself—had been weary of allowing the half-demon anywhere near the youthful peasant-turned-princess, Mino, it had been a pleasant surprise when it turned out that the girl herself did not fear him, and in fact blessed him up and down for her rescue after the death of her captor, the frog demon. In a single moment in time, InuYasha turned from a half-breed to a treasured hero in the eyes of Haranobu and his men.

"Feh." InuYasha turned his head slightly in disgust. _People are such hypocrites,_ he thought. It had been so annoying that one single moment in time had caused so many people to change their opinions of him, especially when their initial impressions had been nothing but negative. _And they wonder why I have to be so cautious about the world around me. Anything less is foolhardy._

Of course, they thought most of his actions were rash as it was. He was a man of reaction, and that could do a lot of damage in the world. But he had to be, because in such a dangerous world, trying to consider options was an act of hesitation, and a soldier who hesitates on the battlefield is a dead man. Quietly, InuYasha shifted into a more comfortable position, resting one hand on his belly and another on the hilt of his sword. His golden eyes traveled across the blanket of stars as he pondered, not for the first time in his life, exactly what they were. Kagome had tried to explain the stars as she tried to explain everything of the world she had come from, but she'd never made sense to him. He preferred the world just stay the same as he'd always viewed it.

As he rested, InuYasha caught sight of a dim stream of lights drifting slowly across the blanket of darkness. Blinking, he sat up for a better look. There were two or three long and thin objects passing by just to the north, high above the tree line. They were headed southwest. By the scent he knew precisely what he was seeing. The realization made his heart stop: _Those are Kikyo's soul collectors…_

"What the hell's she doing here?"

* * *

"Is that what I think it is?" Sango asked as she peered to the dim lights that appeared through a break in the trees, drifting toward the south. Kagome followed her line of sight only for the light to fade away before she could get a clear view. She frowned, glancing to her friend. "I could have sworn…soul collectors."

That was the last thing Kagome wanted to hear. "Soul collectors? You mean Kikyo?" Sango could see the worry on her friend's face, and although she didn't want to be the bearer of bad news, this was no time to sugarcoat theories. She nodded, causing Kagome to grimace and avert her eyes to the shadows. "What's _she_ doing here?"

In her first life, Kagome had no doubt of the kind of person Kikyo had been. Strong, serious, determined, a mature and heralded priestess that would have given anything for her people. Kagome could see the same person, the same headstrong and devoted woman, in the heart of Lady Kaede, Kikyo's sister. The potential for both must have been great, to have become priestesses bound by obligation to important roles in the lives of so many people. Kikyo had been simply an amazing woman in Kagome's eyes, to have been bestowed the protection of the Shikon jewel.

And then Naraku. So much heartache had been forged upon the terrible demon's arrival, practically all of it placed squarely on the shoulders of two star-crossed lovers, bound by conflicting destinies to the jaws of hate and despair. Kagome knew little about Naraku's origins, but she did know that much of it involved a dying man, a bandit Kikyo had cared for on his deathbed.

Sango steadied her Hiraikotsu over her right shoulder. "I don't know what she's doing, but whatever it is, it's not here."

"What do you mean?"

"They're flying overhead. We can't tell for sure where she is, but they won't stray far from her. They didn't seem to be very interested in slowing down."

Kagome blinked. Of course, the demon hunter was right.

"You think InuYasha saw them?"

"Not a trace of doubt." Kagome averted her eyes. "He couldn't've missed them."

Sango sighed and rested a hand on her shoulder to comfort her friend. "Come. Let's not keep the other's waiting. We need to get some rest."

"There's a long road ahead of us," Kagome agreed.

"What are we going to do about…" Sango trailed off, gesturing to the sky, where the glow of Kikyo's soul collectors was no longer visible.

"I don't know, Sango." Admittedly, she didn't like the idea that they were headed in the same direction as the resurrected priestess, but at the same time, what Kikyo did—as well as what it led InuYasha to do—was none of her business. She was his companion, but no more. No matter what circumstances may lay on the table for InuYasha and Kikyo, Kagome simply didn't apply.

That didn't mean the thought of it all didn't break her heart.


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Kagome woke with her face bathed in the warm, gentle glow of the morning sun, and she welcomed the day with a weary yawn. She blinked up into a crystal clear sky, broken here and there by the wonderful green branches of the tree they had chosen as their campsite.

Rubbing the last of the sleep from her eyes, the girl rose to a seated position in her bedroll and peered about the quiet hilltop. She was a little sore and from experience, that meant she would be a stiff until they were finally up and on their way, when she could finally stretch her legs. Briefly she pondered over the next step in their search of the jewel shard rumored to have found its way to the Hollow Wood. InuYasha didn't think they would have to go much further once they reached the forest; Kagome hoped he was right. The last thing she wanted to do was spend a number of days wandering around a forest rumored to be infested with demons hell-bent on making this the most feared location in all of feudal Japan.

Kagome didn't want to spend any more time out here than absolutely necessary, and she knew her friends fully agreed with her. The sooner they found the jewel shard—or disproved the rumor of the shard—they could be on their way back to Kaede's village. A few days of rest in the elderly priestess's warm hut would be a welcomed comfort. It always was after the sacrifices she and her friends had to make while on the road. That was the worst thing about the feudal era. The countryside simply wasn't what you would consider "safe," and camping out in the middle of the night was no different from gambling with your own life. There were bandits, demons, and worse things wandering the land, many fearless and eager to sink their blades—or teeth, in some cases—into your flesh.

The thought made Kagome shudder. The movement caught the eye of her little fox demon friend, having already devoured the fish InuYasha had caught before dawn while his friends had still been asleep. "Oh look," Shippo said. "Kagome's up."

Next to the fox demon, she could make out the dark shape of Miroku in his heavy, blue robe. He lifted his eyes to peer at her. Before either spoke, Kagome's attention was drawn to the rustling of branches just above her. She almost yelled out in surprise when a half-demon clad in red dropped from the sky and landed in a crouch next to her.

"Rise and shine, sleepy-head," InuYasha greeted, though she sensed the hint of annoyance in his voice as he peered at her. He was trying to hide it though, in the semblance of good-nature. Kagome respected that, at least. Peeling the remainder of the bedroll from her legs, she rose to stretch her aching muscles. "You sure took your own sweet time wakin' up, ya know."

"I was exhausted," Kagome admitted through a yawn as she trudged over to the remnants of last night's campfire, where her breakfast was still slowly roasting over hot embers, high enough so that it wouldn't burn before she woke. Taking the stick, she picked at the fish before tearing off a chunk with her fingers, blowing at the steam in hopes of cooling the meat. It was an unsuccessful attempt, and at first she burned her tongue a little, but at least it still tasted good. "Wow, thanks InuYasha. I'm starving!"

The others had already finished breakfast. InuYasha lounged in a branch only a few feet above the ground. Miroku and Shippo sat in silence, watching the girl eat. Kagome felt a little guilty about making them wait, but she knew the importance of a good night's rest, something she seldom got spending her nights in the open country during the feudal era. Maybe InuYasha didn't need eight full hours, but she was pretty sure she did and Shippo could be pretty cranky himself without a stable bedtime schedule. At least, she told herself, he wasn't going to make a big deal of it.

"Kagome?" She lifted her eyes to Miroku, who watched her with a calm, calculated expression. "I know you would be quick to say if you sensed a shard of the Shikon jewel, but—"

"Not yet." Kagome tore a chunk of meat from the unrecognizable carcass on her skewer. "Maybe once we move into the forest."

The monk nodded. Kagome breathed in the sweet scent of the morning. The others watched as she devoured her meal, washing it down with swallow of water from her canteen. Quietly, she scanned the line of trees to the south, the forest that they were about to enter. She decided it had been a good idea to stop here for the night, simply because it had been the perfect place to watch for any possible approaching threats. InuYasha's very presence here made it a virtual fortress of demon claws and fangs, not to mention the honed blade of the Tetsusaiga. Also, with Miroku, Shippo, Kirara, and Sango nearby, she had no doubt of her safety.

_Sango._ Kagome looked about and realized for the first time that they were missing two of their party: the demon-slayer and her demon cat companion. The girl from the future took another sip of water. "Where's Sango?" she asked after a moment's thought.

Miroku fidgeted. "Not far. She needed a moment to sort her thoughts."

InuYasha snorted. "She _needed_ a moment alone 'cause she was about to tear your head off."

"Oh." For the first time she noticed the red mark across the monk's cheek. _That again,_ Kagome thought, and had to roll her eyes. _Will that guy never learn?_ Miroku turned, brooding silently to himself. She could see what he was thinking, though, as clear as day: _Won't anyone at least try to see things from my point of view?_ She had to smile, but she didn't say anything. "Chin up, guys!" she said cheerfully. "There's a big day ahead of us. Let's try to enjoy it while we can."

"I was trying to," Miroku muttered under his breath, inviting an awkward silence between the friends. It lasted only a moment.

"Idiot," Shippo quipped, and then one of his little ears twisted to the west. He jumped up to his feet. "Here comes Sango!" Sure enough, the demon-slayer had appeared, climbing up the side of the hill near a particularly steep drop-off. Kirara was right beside her, as usual.

"Finally," InuYasha huffed. He dropped down from the branch, landing on the balls of his feet as he went into a crouch next to Kagome. "We should get goin'. We've been here long enough."

Kagome nodded. After a few more bites, she tossed the remnants of her breakfast into the fire and reached for her backpack. In preparation, she rummaged through her pack to make sure everything was properly organized in case of an emergency. Before they went on their way, she and Shippo pushed a thick layer of dirt to smother the hot embers of their campfire, and they were ready to go. InuYasha took the lead, with Miroku and Kagome following side-by-side in his wake, the bike between them, and Shippo perched in the basket. Sango brought up the rear, most likely so that she could keep to herself during the journey. Kagome couldn't blame her; it was pretty apparent that she was still angry with Miroku.

InuYasha wanted to cover as much ground as possible before midday, and the others didn't blame him. The more ground they covered, the more likely Kagome would eventually sense a jewel shard, _if_ there was one to be found. It was an undeniably beautiful morning. The air was crisp and pure, quite refreshing against a backdrop of darkness. Kagome was comfortable knowing she was among friends who truly cared for her well-being. She shared their care and devotion, both for each other and for their quest. Even InuYasha could understood that. She was sure of it.

* * *

At midday, they located a narrow stream where they decided to stop for a rest. For Kagome, the offensive mixture of sweat and dirt she had worked up over the past few days was unbearable, and so she talked Sango into joining her for a bath. They switched into their birthday suits—while InuYasha and Shippo distracted Miroku—and slipped into the cool water to refresh themselves. They didn't bother to eat lunch, as no one was especially hungry, but they did take time to relax.

They didn't sit about for long. InuYasha was prompt in stating that, when it was time to move on, it was time to move on. Each moment's hesitation meant that it would be more likely any jewel shard would fall into hands that would misuse it, if that hadn't happened already. There _were_ supposed to be a lot of demons out here. No doubt they would have to fight to reclaim this piece of the broken Shikon jewel. Which meant they would all have to keep their eyes open and their weapons ready.

Feeling cleansed and refreshed after her bath, in which she had managed to wash her hair and dug the grime from beneath her fingernails, Kagome dried off and dressed in the privacy of a cluster of bushes, with Sango nearby. If Sango hadn't been there, she certainly wouldn't have considered a bath. Without the demon-slayer, she wouldn't have been entirely sure of the situation, and the last thing she wanted to do was risk being found by some hideous demon and be forced to rush for help from the others without some sort of barrier to hide her bare flesh. She had also announced the development of a headache, though it was nowhere near painful enough to slow their journey across the forest. She would categorize it as noticeably stable, though not nearly as bad as the migraines her mother often got and she herself sometimes experienced. Those would literally knock her off her feet, the pain was so bad.

They found the boys not far from the spring and knew instantly they had never once been in danger of attack. So intent was InuYasha on her location that he instantly shot to his feet when she arrived and approached her with quiet conviction. "You feelin' better, Kagome?"

The girl had to smile. "A little," she said. Actually, the pulsing pain in her head had changed very little since she had first noticed it, but there was really was no reason to bother her friends. She could handle a little migraine. She'd done it before, after all, when they'd been even more impossible to handle. This one would be a cakewalk.

Miroku rose and headed her direction. "Here, take this," he said as he handed her a canteen and a bottle of Tylenol from her backpack. She tossed a few pills into her mouth and drank several gulps thirstily. "I take it we're ready to be on our way again."

Kagome smiled at the concern in the monk's voice, though he was obviously avoiding any eye-contact with Sango. _He could be so cute and sensitive,_ she thought, _if he could ever get that wandering mind of his out of the gutter._ Grinning, Kagome pulled the straps of her backpack up onto her shoulders. "Let's go find a jewel shard."

"Where do we start?" InuYasha demanded.

She chose a clear path leading south along the stream, in a direction they hadn't yet explored. The others followed, taking note of the eagerness in her step. There were still so many mysteries surrounding this bizarre, a place that none of them knew, which made the journey all the more troubling. Still, it was a journey they all knew must be taken. They met it with the knowledge that it would only serve to strengthen their resolve.

Kagome checked her watch. Though she understood leaping back and forth through time could only lead to huge disparities in time, she had learned she could at least determine the duration of their journey. Eight hours had passed since they had left their campsite that morning, and they had only stopped for about a half hour stream.

In the time that it took her to glance from the path to her watch, and then look back to the path, InuYasha came to a halt next to her. His hand brushed her back so that he stood between her and the danger that was invisible to her. Already Kagome could feel her heartbeat quicken inside her as searched the shadows ahead of them for any sign of danger. Behind her, a swirl of fire engulfed Kirara, and transformed the tiny kitten into a large, ferocious fire-cat.

At first, there was nothing, but no doubt InuYasha could sense the danger upon them, and it was directly in their path. InuYasha glared to the south. He had a good nose, and he was seldom wrong. Given the circumstances, Kagome trusted his judgment. Besides, he was the demon of the group, and the warrior who would protect them with his life. More than once, he had demonstrated that to be the truth of it.

It was Sango who broke the silence. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Kagome asked.

"I can smell it, too." InuYasha's eyes narrowed into slits. Razor-sharp claws lightly stroked the hilt of his Tetsusaiga as he stared into the shadows. "And it reeks." The others stood at his side, waiting. While Kagome wasn't sure exactly what was going on, she knew better than to second guess her friends. Especially a professional demon-slayer and half-demon with supersensitive hearing and sense of smell. Finally, InuYasha decided he had waited long enough. His clawed fingers wrapped around the hilt of his sword and pulled the blade free. A wave of demonic power pulsed through him, and the Tetsusaiga transformed as it cleared the sheath. The half-demon's golden eyes flared as he took a step forward, prepared to defend his friends with his life, if necessary.

Miroku held his staff out in front of him, his eyes narrowing. "A demonic aura. A rather potent one, at that."

"You're tellin' me." InuYasha snorted. "Kagome, Shippo, stay behind me."

Sango stepped to his side. "Kirara, protect them."

Kagome wondered what it was that had her friends so worried. She could understand—they didn't care to gamble the safety of the group—but she felt a little useless standing here now. She hated feeling useless, so she grabbed for her bow and picked an arrow from the quiver, just to be ready. "Shippo, what do you think?" she asked quietly as she peered about the shadows of the forest.

Shippo frowned and tested the air. He bit his lower lip as he considered his findings, and finally made a decision. "Smells like a cat," he announced.

"A cat?"

Shippo nodded, shaking a little. "A big one."

"One of the panther demons?"

"Maybe." Shippo shrugged. "But I thought they all returned to the west."

"Maybe…" Kagome wet her lips, trying to keep her focus.

For a long moment, there was not a sound to be heard amongst the six travelers. Then, just when Kagome thought she might never hear from her friends again, Miroku stiffened. She could see the nervous rise and fall of his Adam's apple as he swallowed. "That's no panther," he announced, noticeably shaken by something that the others could not yet pinpoint. Kagome listened to the soft whisper of the breeze against the tree branches overhead and watched the monk, concerned by his awkward shifts in posture. She feared for her friend; it wasn't like him not to be cool under pressure, but now he was the total opposite of calm and rational, and it worried her.

InuYasha buried the tip of his Tetsusaiga into the earth and cracked his knuckles. "Bring it on," the half-demon demanded, a sinister smirk on his lips. "I don't care what kind 'a cat it is; I'm gonna tear it limb from limb if it even thinks about gettin' in my way."

And then, a low rasping voice joined them in the quiet uncertainty of the dark forest: "I smell the unchaste blood of a worthless wretch." Tetsusaiga was raised quickly in defense of InuYasha's companions. He spun to the darkness, where the silhouette of a massive creature appeared amidst the trees. Kagome's eyes widened at the sight of…whatever it was. It was large and tall, she thought it might outweigh the whole of their group entirely. "Tell me, half-breed, are you the one they call InuYasha?"

The others took a step back, shocked at the size of the beast. InuYasha was hardly one to back down, and despite his unease at the massive bulk of the bastard, he held his ground. "What's it to ya?" he sneered.

"Not much, truthfully," the creature shot back. "But there is one who seeks to bring great harm to this InuYasha, and to his friends. I am merely curious as to why this gruesome demon would waist precious time with this psychological duel of wits when he could simply wipe the pest from the face of the earth."

InuYasha narrowed his eyes. "Who the hell are you? Did Naraku send you?"

The other's brow rose, and a smirk appeared, bearing tremendous fangs. "So you are InuYasha. It is troubling; I never suspected to find you so quickly."

"Yeah, well it's not like I'm tryin' ta hide," InuYasha growled.

The attack was sudden and vicious, much too fast to InuYasha to anticipate. The beast, nearly thrice the half-demon's size—with speed that would rival a certain brash wolf demon—proved himself to be a dangerous adversary with a powerful strike to the InuYasha's chest. He felt the air rushing from his lungs as his feet were lifted clean off the ground. Thrown into the brush, InuYasha was lost from sight.

Kagome's voice filled the air as a sudden, terrified shreak: "_InuYasha!_"


	4. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

Without a second thought, Sango took the initiative to come to InuYasha's aid. Already, her Hiraikotsu was lifted from her shoulder, her eyes drawn toward the large cat's unprotected, right side. She might have struck first, but her hand was stayed when she saw Miroku out of the corner of her eye, wielding his staff. He had miscalculated, and was coming into her line of attack. She held back, cursing silently to herself, and landed on her feet. To her horror, she saw the beast lash out at the monk, landing a brutal blow that seemed to cut him down like a sapling bonsai.

Sango's eyes widened as he crashed to the ground. "Miroku!"

Before she could do anything more, the beast came for her, massive arms and powerful hands tipped with three-inch long razor-sharp claws. Her worst fears were realized from the moment she saw the beast attack. It didn't flail about like a wild thing, content with merely tearing anything in its path to shreds. It moved with the calculated ferocity of a soldier in combat. Desperate to survive and to protect her friends, Sango went to a knee and took shelter behind her massive bone boomerang, bracing herself for the blow to come.

But it didn't come. Instead, she felt the weight of the weapon lifted and opened her eyes in surprise to see the beast snap it in half in its powerful jaws and toss the pieces aside. They stared at each other a moment, Sango in horror and the beast without clear emotion, only a calculating stare as if he were considered what to do with her.

A voice bellowed in the darkness, one born of fury. "Sango, get down!" A figure in clad red appeared in her line of sight. She dropped to her belly, covering her head. The crash just above her was deafening, like a giant fist snapping a tree trunk in half. Sango looked up, seeing that InuYasha had sufficiently driven the beast away from her, and the two were still going at it. Drawing a deep breath, she scampered to her feet.

"Sango!"

The demon-slayer looked over to see Kagome approaching with a very frightened fox demon perched on her shoulder. The Hiraikotsu lay nearby, in pieces, but at the moment, that didn't matter. Presently the battle was being fought full-force by InuYasha, who clung to his Tetsusaiga as though it were his only life line. She breathed a sigh of relief to see he was, at least in terms of the battle, unaffected by the great cat's mighty blow. In fact, Sango had expected to see him cut and bleeding, if at all, yet InuYasha seemed in prime condition even after the blow.

Kagome sunk to her knees beside Sango, staring out over the battlefield. "Are you all right?"

"Fine," she reported. "He never had a chance to strike."

The girl from the future nodded, taking the time to inspect InuYasha's progress in battle. "I noticed. But why not? You were an easy target."

"Don't remind me." Sango forced herself to her knees and hesitantly turned an eye away from the battle to a mass of blue that lay twenty feet away, expecting to find the body of the monk, ripped, bloodied, and lifeless. To her surprise, there was no blood. Miroku even twitched a little and she could hear a soft groan escape her lips. Sango closed her eyes and breathed out a silent sigh of relief. "I have to get to Miroku."

Kagome considered her friend for a moment as she steadied the bow in her grip. After a quick nod, she chose an arrow from her quiver. "Go," she said. "I'll cover you."

* * *

Miroku moaned at the pressure of a thousand stones rattling around inside his skull and fought to roll onto his back, hoping to relieve the shattered bone in his left arm of his body weight. He found he couldn't move. _How could I have been so foolish,_ he wondered as he peered up into the shadows of the forest canopy, and the haze of the crimson sky beyond. He had leapt into Sango's way as if he were the professional demon-slayer, keeping her from going on the offensive and getting himself injured in the process. He was lucky he hadn't been torn completely in half.

If any time InuYasha and the others had the right to declare him an idiot, it was now. He could see his staff nearby, thankfully in once piece, as he recalled just what the thing had done to Sango's much sturdier Hiraikotsu, snapping it in half with its enormous jaws as if it were no more than a dry, old twig.

As he listened to the grunts, growls, snarls, and shouts of battle, not to mention the coinciding bangs, smacks, and crashes, Miroku found himself thanking his lucky stars InuYasha had been there to throw himself into the battle before Sango had suffered the consequences of his blunder. He wished he could do more now than lay here, alone, but his body refused to respond beyond anything much more than twitch or a groan.

"Miroku!" Sango slammed down to the earth next to him and moved to help him up. He gave a cry as intense pain surged through him. Instantly she jerked back, blinking in terror as she inspected his body. He could tell what she was thinking: _What is it? Is he hurt worse than I thought?_ The terror in her eyes was even more real than his pain. "What's wrong! What did that thing do to you!"

The monk grimaced, wishing he could find the strength to rub the pain from his arm, but wishing didn't often fulfill desires. "I'm all right. My arm's broken, but I'll live." _So long as that beast lets me,_ he thought warily. And then realization struck. He blinked up to the girl, considering her with shock. "Sango, hurry! You mustn't let InuYasha kill him!" His voice was rock solid, filled with rigid determination.

She blinked. "Miroku?"

"Go!" The monk gave her a shove on the shoulder with his good right hand, the one with the accursed wind tunnel.

"Right." Sango turned to find her half-demon friend, locked in a heated battle with a great, white beast with black stripes like a tiger's and a huge muzzle filled with razor-sharp fangs. She wished she still held her Hiraikotsu, grimacing at the knowledge that the same beast the monk wanted her to save had so easily snapped it into pieces in his jaws. She had to do what he asked—Miroku knew exactly what he was doing—and so she darted forward. She would trust Miroku with her life, even if she couldn't trust him to keep his grubby little hands to himself.

Her katana came free in a flash as she darted between the two warriors. She sensed the beast raise back, half-expecting it to come at her, but it didn't.

InuYasha fixed her with a stunned glare. "Sango, what the hell–"

"InuYasha, we can't kill it," she said suddenly, holding up a palm. She watched up at the large cat, waiting to see what the beast would do. It breathed deeply, amber eyes still holding the heated spark of battle. To her relief, the thing just stood there, staring down to her. She blinked, trembling beneath his gaze. It snarled at her, snapped viciously at her, flailed about like a wild thing on the verge of decimation…but it didn't strike. Sango caught a glimpse of Miroku; somehow the monk had forced himself to his knees. In his good right hand, Miroku held a pair of spell scrolls. Understanding, Sango lifted her sword. "Just back off right now," she hissed through gritted teeth to her half-demon comrade. "Miroku…"

InuYasha shot a look to the monk and then nodded. He wasn't exactly sure what his friends had in mind, but he saw the look in Miroku's eyes. In that moment, just as the beast started to swing down at them with his powerful arm, the half-demon took Sango in his arms and bolted clear.

Miroku released his scrolls, gasping in pain as he tumbled over. Lack of his left arm made for poor aim, and the scrolls fell harmlessly into the woods, away from the beast. The monk cursed his luck and sat there, waiting. As he anticipated, the demon turned and bolted his way. He looked about frantically, but realized there was nowhere to go. "Damn!"

The smell of the thing was putrid; its breath was like a thousand rotten carcasses. Miroku cringed at the stench, fought to keep from gagging as such a motion might force him to take his eyes of the beast. He couldn't even use his left hand to tear the prayer beads from his right wrist. If he didn't do something quick, he was done for.

And then a familiar voice cut through the forest.

"Stay low, Miroku!" Kagome shouted. "I'll bring him down!"

The girl took aim with her bow, peering down the shaft of her arrow. She drew a slow breath, arm locked to steady her shot, and released. A flame of energy, glowing with the spiritual powers Kagome had inherited from a long-dead priestess, lit the arrow as it raced toward its mark.

"Oh no," she mumbled as she lowered the bow. She knew she'd missed her target. But, that didn't mean it still wouldn't draw blood. Sure enough, the sacred arrow didn't hit the torso of the beast, as she'd anticipated, but instead sliced into his thickly muscled calf. A piercing cry echoed out over the Hollow Wood. Kagome lowered to a knee and started to reach for another arrow. But, instead of going on, the massive cat turned a hateful eye in her direction, hissed defiantly, and somehow, despite his injury, bolted off into the shadows.

It was then Kagome noticed the odd sensation that had become so familiar to her over the past twenty months. A soft gasp escaped her lips as she rose to her feet, realizing that she must have missed it in the heat of the battle.

_It has a jewel shard…_

* * *

InuYasha was supposed to be keeping watch over their latest campsite, but as was typical for the half-demon, the moment Kagome sat down to sift through her backpack for the latest necessities, hunger became his primary concern. Not even the massive demon—a tiger demon, Miroku had explained, from the Mainland in a world known as Siberia—from before suddenly vanishing into thin air could affect his appetite. Kagome couldn't understand how he could be so calm, given their ordeal with a demon that seemingly could have easily torn their party to shreds.

The girl sighed and glanced to Sango and Miroku, near the fire. The demon-slayer helped to adjust makeshift sling, a somber gaze on her face. Kagome felt badly for the young monk. She was no doctor but she knew by the grotesque angle his arm hung after the injury that the bone had snapped. The monk would have to take it easy for the time being; she knew he could fight even minus an arm, but it was no easy feat given the task at hand.

For one, the wind tunnel would be virtually useless now. For another, given the monumental height of their goals, it was sickeningly obvious how such an injury only held them all back, and Miroku had been the first to admit that his lack of foresight in the fight with the demon tiger had cost them all dearly. It was lucky enough that they were all in one piece—give or take a few cuts and bruises, not to mention Miroku's broken arm.

"How does it feel?" Sango asked.

"No worse than my wounded pride." The monk stared into the roaring flames of their campfire as they wrapped and crackled and hissed against the log Kagome placed into the burning pit. He sighed and shifted a little, turning a weary eye to the demon-slayer. "I owe you an apology."

Sango shook her head. "You've already paid the price."

"No. I made a mistake and that thing could have killed you because of it." Miroku sighed heavily, turning so that he was staring directly into her eyes. He looked so serious and discouraged that it caused an ache to build in Sango's chest. For a moment, her breath caught in her lungs and she could hear her heart pounding against her ribs like angry thunderclaps. Turning her eyes from his, she wished silently that he would stop looking at her like that. Hell, it was better when he touched her somewhere inappropriate than when he broke her heart in this manner. Her face broke out in a soft red blush as she stared into the burning embers, silently cursing him for doing this to her. "Sango?"

"You heard me, Miroku. You don't owe me anything. You were just trying to help, that's all." She slowly stoked the fire, watching the pot of Ramen Kagome was fixing for dinner. "Maybe I'm the one who should be apologizing to you."

The monk blinked. "What do you mean?"

"I hesitated." She glanced over to him, grateful for the opportunity to return his forlorn expression. At least now they could mourn their mistakes together. She wet her lips and blinked back the disappointment. "Had I thrown my Hiraikotsu, I could have distracted the beast. When I held back for your sake, it cost us my weapon and your arm. It could have cost us your life."

Miroku actually grinned. "Maybe that's true. Perhaps not." He took the stick from her, taking his own turn to feed the flames. "At least it allows us to level the playing field." He sighed, casting her a sidelong glance. "I'm glad."

"Hmmm?" She peered at him out of the corner of her eye.

Miroku smiled and allowed his voice to raise so their whole party could hear. "We've been traveling a full day now," he said, almost cheerfully. "There is no sign of a jewel shard…"

"That's not true," Kagome said suddenly, cringing. The group had been so battered after that their encounter with the tiger she'd forgotten to mention it. She knew she was glowing crimson when they all turned to look at her.

"What are you talking about?" InuYasha demanded. He leapt to his feet, eager to be on the move. "You sense a shard now?"

Kagome blinked. "Uh, yeah and no."

"Huh? Well, which is it?" the half-demon growled. "You better start makin' sense!"

"I meant say something after the fight…"

"What do you mean? Did that thing have a shard?" InuYasha was on his feet in a shot. "Why the hell didn't you say anything?"

"We weren't exactly in the right condition to go after him." Kagome replied. "Besides, he's here after _you_. I'm thinking we aren't going to hafta look very hard tomorrow."

The others shared looks of concern; Kagome was certainly right about that much. He had said he'd been looking for InuYasha. The half-demon was determined, and that was enough to convince them that his decision was final. He was going on whether they came along with him or not.

Certainly, they couldn't let him go alone.

* * *

"Aaa-_choo!_ Ugh…"

Kagome handed the young fox demon a fresh handkerchief, cuddling him closer into her sleeping bag. He'd been sneezing nonstop for over an hour now. While the others hadn't said anything, she knew the poor guy was keeping them up. Kagome really didn't care; the sudden rain had broken the norm, and little Shippo had taken the brunt of it all. It was a cool rain, nothing strange for mid-fall in feudal Japan, and she expected that if the fox demon were to catch a cold, she would soon follow. But the kid needed her now, just as she had needed her mother when she little and sick in bed. Kagome would do anything for the boy, even if it meant getting sick herself.

They had been lucky, Kagome knew, to have found a cave before the full force of the storm had met them in the forest. InuYasha was to thank for that, for sensing the approaching rain nearly an hour before it fell. She eyed him as he sat in the mouth of the cave, staring out at the rain as he listened to it splattering against the treetops before splashing loudly against the forest floor. She wished they could get a fire going, but she respected Miroku's opinion, and starting a fire in a cave would do little more than smoke them out of a dry place to spend the night. They had their blankets and spare clothing, and that would have to do. Sango, of course, had Kirara. She was cuddled up in a ball next to them, using the large demon cat as a barrier against the cold, damp air.

The monk sat nearby, watching the girls with a placid look on his weary face. The poor guy really wasn't taking his injury well, as if believed he were somehow less of a person without use of his left arm. Without it, using the wind tunnel could have disastrous consequences. Kagome's heart ached for him. She wasn't used to seeing him so downtrodden. Usually, when things were at their bleakest, she could trust in the young monk to lift her spirits, even when InuYasha was being impossible. He might have a few dubious quirks, but he was full of good intentions. In truth, he was really no different from any of their party, Kagome realized. _We all have our flaws. He just seems to have such a cunning knack for brushing girls the wrong way._ Kagome smiled to herself, even as little Shippo gave off another thunderous sneeze. She scratched the little guy's head, hoping to soothe him. He mumbled something into her chest, probably along the lines of "Thank you, Kagome," though she couldn't be entirely sure.

Wrapping the fox demon tighter into her warm embrace, Kagome let her eyes slide shut and listened to her friends as they breathed in sequence with the steady splatter of the evening rain, as well as the occasional sneeze, sniffle, and moan from Shippo as he fought what had to be the beginnings of a cold. It was a long time before sleep swept her away, but she must have been very tired, because after what seemed like only moments after she fell asleep, she awoke to the sound someone stirring nearby.


	5. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five**

Kikyo had never been to the Hollow Wood before, though she knew the presence that guided her. It wasn't all that difficult to see, especially for a priestess with such a vast understanding of demon nature. She slid quietly through the murky bog, not quite certain where it was she was going but knowing without a doubt she would soon arrive. InuYasha, the very object of her being, was close. She knew it without actual proof—a priestess's intuition, something that was simply there—that feeling she got whenever he was near. She couldn't explain it, but that really didn't make any difference to her. Understanding how wasn't the important part. Just that he was.

She also sensed that a battle had been fought here, perhaps weeks prior to her arrival, a battle fought not with blades or claws. Rather, it had been an ambush. Kikyo narrowed her eyes and slipped down to a knee, brushing her hands through the silt at her feet. _The tiger demon. It must be. The one that attacked InuYasha?_ She felt no emotion as she inspected the area, only the undeniable sentience that something terrible had been here. Auron had been here; that much was certain. Naraku had also made an appearance, and somehow enslaved him using a Shikon jewel shard.

Luckily, InuYasha had not fallen to the tiger; her earlier encounter with the half-demon had proven that much. He would not be taken so easily, no matter how powerful his adversary. Not with his own fierce loyalty to the girl—Kikyo's eyes narrowed in remembrance of Kagome, the very object of her jealous rage—could he have possibly given his life when she depended on him for protection. She turned from the scene, having found no evidence as to where the shadow demon had gone. _There's a troubling moon tonight,_ she thought as she continued down the path. _I don't quite understand all that has happened, but I intend to find out._

She continued to wade through the bog until she came to rocky hillside that lifted up and out of the bog. Her eyes fell upon a mountain that she had never known existed. The opening of what had to be a massive cave loomed over her. She drew a deep breath and slipped out of the water. She chose a path that led away from the cave, though she knew she would be back. There were more important matters at hand; this could wait, for the time being.

_I wonder when my love is slated for death,_ she thought, barely paying attention to the foul creature that had lingered in her path. _Not too soon, I hope. I yearn to be at his side when that moment comes. Wait for me, InuYasha…_

"Intriguing that I would find you here, my dear Kikyo."

She barely lifted her eyes to stare into the baboon mask that watched back at her. "You are in my path, Naraku."

He bobbed his head in a pitiful bow. "Perhaps. Then again, perhaps you are in my own." He took a slow step forward, flexing his claws only slightly as he neared her. "Though Onigumo's heart still beats within me, the decisions I make remain of my own judgment."

"Tell me your purpose here."

Naraku chuckled from within his mask. "Not much different from your own really. There is much power in the Hollow Wood, power unclaimed as of this moment. Soon, however, it will be within my grasp."

Kikyo's eyes narrowed even more. "You are a power-hungry fool. One must learn to control power before the desire for more can be sufficiently satisfied. Your greed will be your downfall."

"Such optimism for a dead girl."

She bowed her head ever so slightly. "I may be a walking corpse, but I still hold your heart in the palm of my hand."

From within his mask, Naraku's eyes shimmered. "Not for long."

* * *

As the dawn arrived, a blur of red and white skimmed over the treetops of the Hollow Wood, still a dreary and dark world before the coming of the morning sun. The overcast sky was a dismal gray, and that only made the world around him even darker than the norm. InuYasha didn't like it one bit, after all he knew and especially considering all that he didn't know. It would mean that he would have to take even more care of his friends, knowing that a possible minion of Naraku was on the loose, somewhere out here.

And what of Kikyo? InuYasha's heart still pounded in retrospect of his latest encounter with the undead priestess. _Kikyo, what are you really doin' out here? _he wondered as he bounded over a particularly wide break in the trees. He had watched her wading, fully clothed in her priestess's garb, waist-deep in a pool of heated mineral water. She had been looking for something, he knew that much. But what? As much as Kikyo held a place in his heart from fifty years ago, she was far from the same girl now as she had been way back then. She was a beast of two emotions: intense love and hatred for him, and a dark longing to be with him in death as she felt they had been meant to be together in life. Perhaps she was right; InuYasha had so often felt the same way. But he had to be free of her in order to collect the shards of the Shikon jewel. He had to destroy Naraku in order to end the hell that his life had become. Naraku intended to use the jewel to mold Japan, and all of the world, into his own image.

By damn, InuYasha wouldn't let that happen. However, to succeed in that quest meant his life, toward that end, was not his own. Only one person in all his life, save his own mother, had truly accepted him for who he was, and that had been Kagome. Not even Kikyo had been able to look past the half-demon before her to see the soul within. Only Kagome.

"What are you doing here, InuYasha?" Kikyo had demanded. She had already been wet from the storm. What she had been doing in the pool he couldn't begin to guess, but it had seemed important. He knew whatever it was, she hadn't found it before his arrival. She had stared at him with an emotionless calm. "You and your friends have no business in the Hollow Wood. I suggest you turn back before you get yourself hurt."

"You know me better than that," he had said quietly, dropping to the crouch at the pool's shore, sitting at her eye-level. "I ain't goin' nowhere until I find what it is I came for." He didn't know what that was exactly, and by the calm chuckle from deep in her throat, she understood. He didn't like to be mocked. "Don't patronize me, Kikyo."

She had simply turned away, determined to say nothing more as she waded deeper into the pool, though he could see the warning in her eyes as she offered her parting glance. InuYasha shuddered even now, wondering what it all had meant. _Kagome… I hope you don't think less of me,_ he thought as he bounded over the treetops. _I have promises to keep, and Kikyo deserves no less._ For now, however, he could stay with Kagome. She needed him too.

* * *

A somber Miroku stood at the mouth of the cave and yawned. The haze of the dawn had lifted, and he could see the top half of the sun peeking through a narrow opening in the overcast sky, just above the sea of green. The beauty of the forest never ceased to amaze the young monk. As troubled as his existence was, beauty in life was one of the few escapes available from the darkness. He had accepted the truth a long time ago, and that alone had made the horrors of his existence bearable. Even now, it almost allowed him to forget the sling that held his broken arm in place.

Almost.

He lifted the cup to his lips and sipped the steaming brew. Spiced tea trickled down his gullet, effectively calming his nerves. With a sigh, he closed his eyes. At least life with InuYasha and the others was eventful. Any other way, he wasn't so sure he could even survive.

"Miroku?"

The monk turned his head slightly at the sound of someone trying to speak his name through a heavy yawn. He smiled and sipped his tea.

"Oh, there you are." Kagome stifled another yawn as she approached, still wiping the sleep from her eyes as she came to his side. She too held a cup of tea. "I don't ever want to sleep in another cave as long as I live. My back is killing me."

Miroku smiled. "You need more then your bedroll."

"You could say that again."

A few birds fluttered past, just over the treetops. Kagome had to smile. She'd never seen such sights before coming to the feudal era, and now they were commonplace. With a soft sigh, she leaned against the mouth of the cave and breathed in the sweet, morning air. InuYasha had chosen a place where he could keep watch over the entire forest. Kagome couldn't blame him for taking that precaution. Sitting out here, there would be no way he could miss a thing, especially some demon that might happen to fly overhead. Under the cover of the forest, watching the skies would not be so easy a task.

At the same time, the memory of the soul collectors she and Sango had spotted two nights ago was still fresh in her mind. Was that the reason InuYasha had picked this cave in particular? Kagome sighed and sipped her tea. "What about you, Miroku?"

"Hmm?"

"Did you sleep well?"

The monk didn't answer, but Kagome could tell he was tired. Her eyes drifted to the arm that hung limply in his makeshift sling. Quickly, he turned from her and swept his gaze out over the treetops and overcast sky, checking for anything out of the norm. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, at least not at the moment. Still, that did not mean there was no cause for concern. Despite his smile, Miroku kept a serious tone. "InuYasha has been out for some time. Stalking shadows, I'm sure. We ought to find him before he upsets the forest locals. We don't want to draw unnecessary attention to ourselves."

Kagome cringed. "You mean any more than we already have."

"Indeed," the monk said.

A dreary silence fell over them; Kagome ached for him even now, seeing the pain in his eyes when, despite his lingering troubles, it had seemed barely a bother in the past. She reached out and lay a hand on his shoulder. "Miroku…"

"I don't need your sympathy," he said quickly, turning to her. Kagome pulled her hand back suddenly, her eyes widening. It was now his turn to rest his good hand on her shoulder. "I am not helpless, Kagome. We will continue to fight Naraku together, as we've always done. We will continue to collect the jewel shards. Together."

"All of us," a voice echoed as Sango appeared, dressed in her kimono, though Kagome was pretty sure she had her demon-slayer uniform on beneath it. A transformed Kirara, the size of a horse, followed in her wake; Shippo rested on the fire-cat's head with Kagome's handkerchief in tow. They all looked set for the day's journey, each a little more grim then they had been the previous day, before they knew about the demon tiger that stalked InuYasha.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," the monk said quietly.

They ate a light meal of fish and rice by firelight before they decided they had rested long enough. After gathering their things, Shippo helped Kagome to put out the fire, and they were set to be on their way. Once they were on the path again, the five of them made good time, with Miroku and Sango riding atop Kirara and Shippo huddled in the basket of Kagome's bike as she pedaled after the fire-cat. They were quiet, listening for signs of their half-demon friend. Typically, when InuYasha raised a ruckus, he wasn't difficult to locate. Especially for Kirara, who was himself a demon, so Kagome let him lead the way.

_I wonder what's going on with InuYasha? _Kagome wondered as her bike slid effortlessly down a dirt trail. It was a remarkably smooth ride considering, though no ride was really all that smooth here in the feudal era. She longed for paved roads, but then again, she really kinda liked it this way. She was the only one from her era to see Japan before cities had swarmed the land.

Kirara, Sango, and Miroku, had already built up a considerable lead on her, likely so they could reflect on the journey, especially away from little Shippo. The poor fox demon rested as best he could, occasionally blasting unwanted phlegm into Kagome's handkerchief. _Guess I'm gonna hafta ditch that one,_ she thought. _Too bad. I really liked the design, too._ The little fox demon kept mumbling under his breath, and even though she couldn't quite make out what it was he was saying, Kagome knew better than to ask how he was doing. She sighed and continued to pedal down the long, narrow path.

Kagome couldn't shake the feeling that something was horribly wrong. It had been bothering her since the previous evening, seeing the apparent distraction in the eyes of her friends, knowing of the powerful demon tiger that threatened them and the odd weight of ruin that clung to the air of the Hollow Wood and rested squarely on her shoulders. The origin of the danger was unclear, but there could be no doubt that it was there. That thought alone scared the hell out of her.

It was an undeniably beautiful morning. The air was crisp and pure, quite refreshing against Kagome's delicate throat. Despite her worries, she was comfortable knowing she was among friends who truly cared for her well-being. Kagome tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and sighed. She shared their care and devotion, both for each other and for their quest. Even though he refused to admit it, she believed InuYasha felt the same way.

Things were going in the wrong direction fast. Sango no longer had her Hiraikotsu, and Miroku… Kagome sighed again.

"Kagome? Are you okay?"

"Huh?" she looked down to Shippo and forced a little smile. "Oh, I'm fine. Things just aren't exactly going as we planned."

"And you're worried."

"Sure, who wouldn't be?"

Shippo swallowed and looked back after the trio ahead of them. Then he heaved a heavy sigh of his own. "Kagome?"

"Yes, Shippo?"

"Don't tell the others, but I'm worried too."

Kagome smiled and mussed the kit's hair. The fox demon always found a way to make her feel better about any given situation. "Don't worry, Shippo. You're secret's safe with me."

* * *

There it was again, the foul stench of a dark and treacherous evil, lingering and mixing with that of a another darkness. InuYasha had already memorized the foul smell of the demon tiger, but the accompanying stench was something that was by far more familiar. Hatred surged through his veins. _Naraku. _It seemed the bastard had decided to join his ominous patsy. Flexing his claws, InuYasha darted through the treetops on the way to meet his destiny.

* * *

Kagura snapped open her fan peered over the razor-thin edges to the tiger demon below. A mischievous smile played on her pale lips as the mighty beast prepared for battle. This was a creature bred for battle, she mused, both brutal and distinctly efficient in the art of war, and he certainly looked the part. In human form, he was about as massive a monstrosity as she had ever laid eyes upon. In his true form…words could not do him justice.

She slid her crimson gaze to Kanna and peered into her mirror.

Naraku, guised in his baboon mask and cloak, watched from the comforts of his new den.

In that instant, the tiger demon drew his battle-ax, howling out into the darkness of the forest, and darted forward. Kagura could see InuYasha in his path, standing and waiting, his powerful sword drawn and poised for battle. Naraku chuckled darkly, and murmured a simple command to her from within the mirror: "See to it InuYasha does not leave this place alive."

Kagura drew a slow breath. She turned her eyes back toward Auron and nodded slowly. "It shall be done." She held out her arm and lifted her fan up, drawing the winds away from the two battle-crazed warriors.

And with that motion, InuYasha's most formidable weapon was nullified.


	6. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six**

Shippo looked as if he was going to be ill. His face had taken a pasty white complexion, and he was clutching his stomach. "I smell blood," he mumbled as Kagome's bike raced toward what could only be a battle. She blinked down and him and nodded, determined. The jewel shard she had detected the night before had resurfaced, and she feared now that InuYasha had stumbled upon it on his own, and that meant…

_We're coming, InuYasha…_

Her face was grim, though she offered a nod to the little fox demon as he whimpered in the basket of her bike. "InuYasha's in trouble."

"We'll go on ahead," Sango said as she fixed her demon-slayer's mask over her mouth and checked to see that her Katana was accessible. "Let's go, Kirara." Miroku clung to her shoulder with his good arm to brace himself as the fire-cat went airborne and vanished over the treetops. Swallowing, her mind racked with a fury bordering on panic, Kagome checked to be sure her bow and quiver were still at her side and pedaled harder.

Shippo sank deeper into the basket, blinking.

"What is it you smell?" she asked.

"It's that tiger! There's blood too." He gazed up to her. "InuYasha's too."

Fighting to conceal the panic of her racing heart, Kagome nodded. "We'll get there, Shippo," she promised. "I'd never leave InuYasha alone. Never in a million years."

_So long as I can help it,_ she amended silently.

* * *

Up ahead, Kirara ran directly into a wall of swarming insects. She was forced to veer to one side and nearly crashed headlong into a grove of grotesquely gnarled trees. Wielding his staff with his good hand, Miroku took a mighty hack at the air around him, effectively tearing three or four of the nasty creatures to shreds. As he'd anticipated, Naraku's poisonous wasps followed the fire-cat's path, hammering at her side and forcing her off track. She slammed violently into the forest floor, flinging both monk and demon-slayer into the forest.

* * *

Without the wind scar at his disposal, this was a battle InuYasha was ill-equipped to win. Already he had considering unleashing the backlash wave, but his opponent was a headstrong brute who came at his opponents with brute strength, and not his demonic power, meaning the Tetsusaiga's ultimate technique was as useless as the wind scar.

The good news was that the bastard was so large in his tiger form that he was nearly impossible to miss. Unfortunately, for every blow InuYasha was met with a counteroffensive that caused more damage to himself than any attack he could unleash. In fact, he spent so much time dodging and blocking he could barely steady himself long enough to use one of Tetsusaiga's powerful techniques. His fire-rat garb was soaked in blood, a majority of which was his own. He had even managed to get the drop on the bastard, for all the good _that_ did him. He'd been such an idiot, and Kagome would tell him so. If he was lucky enough to live through this.

The world was growing crimson and dim at the same time. His own blood dripped into his eyes from a cut on his brow, making it all more difficult to see. If all else failed, he would be ready to use Blades of Blood, but if he was right about this opponent, such an attack would do no more damage than he could do with any of his other techniques. The tiger had him hanging by a thread, and if he wasn't careful he would be joining his father in death in short order.

Already weary with fatigue and blood loss, InuYasha was helpless to avoid a powerful blow that lifted him from his feet and sent him barreling into the shadows. Somehow, when he regained his focus, he was still clutching the Tetsusaiga. _I don't know how I'm still holding onto this, but somebody must be watching over me. If I were to change into a full demon now, who knows what I might do, and who might suffer because of me._ InuYasha pushed himself slowly to a knee, using Tetsusaiga for extra footing. Slowly, he turned back to the shadows. For a long, tireless moment, all was deathly silent. "Where the hell is that bastard?" he muttered to himself. He tested the air. _Still close, but where?_

"You're very good, for a half-demon. I'm impressed."

InuYasha spun about, lifting his weapon up in a defensive posture. For the first time, he saw the beast in his human guise. Tall, proud, distinguished, a handsome face—marked on one cheek by a pair of blood-red lightning bolts, and the other by a yellow crescent moon and blue diamond. Golden cat's eyes peered through the darkness at him. He wore a long, blue-black robe, and snow-white, tiger-striped hair cascaded long and straight down his broad shoulders. He wielded a black battle-ax as if it were a child's toy. To his hip was a dagger nearly as long as the InuYasha's arm. "Glad to have your approval," he muttered. "Let's just get this over with, okay?"

A slow smile slid over the demon tiger's lips. If InuYasha hadn't known better, he could have sworn he saw a hint of admiration in those flashing, golden eyes. He started toward the dog demon once more, whipping the ax about in a quick and smooth motion as if it were a baton. In response, InuYasha steadied his sword in both hands, the final barrier between them, and took off at full speed toward his adversary. As InuYasha braced for the impending collision, a thought crossed his mind: _I'm in trouble here. If I can't find a way to take the upper hand, I'm done for, and if that happens, Kagome and the others might not make it outta here alive._ The thought caused him to reconsidered his battle plan. The tiger was fast, no doubt about that, but his massive size was a hindrance. No matter how fast he was going, InuYasha knew inertia would be his weakness.

The memory of the sacred arrow Kagome had buried into the beast's calf lingered in InuYasha's mind as he took to the sky in the instant that his enemy swung the battle-ax. Somehow, he avoided the blow and brought Tetsusaiga about, slicing easily through the armor on the tiger demon's back. The beast wailed in agony.

_I hurt him! I can hurt him!_

The beast spun toward him, ripping the dagger free of its sheath. InuYasha darted back, avoiding the blade as he smeared his claws in his own blood from the cut in his shoulder. With a smirk he lashed out, ripping the air with blades of red energy. Again, the tiger stumbled back, clutching his wounded shoulder. InuYasha came at him again, intent on slamming Tetsusaiga through the bastard's breastplate.

But the beast would have none of it. He sidestepped InuYasha, a move that caught the half-demon off guard, and slammed a powerful fist into his side. With a grunt, the half-demon tumbled away from the battle.

Expecting the other to follow up on his attack, InuYasha struggled to his feet. However, when he looked, the tiger was nowhere to be seen.

"Wha– Where'd he go!" InuYasha used the Tetsusaiga to help push himself to his feet. He tested the air. Sure enough, he located the stink of the beast, running away from the battle. With a shake of his head, InuYasha realized what had happened. It all took a moment to sink in, but the truth seemed clear enough. _He…he ran away! The one moment I have him backed into a corner, he takes off in a shot! I don't believe this!_ With a furious snarl, InuYasha slammed Tetsusaiga back into its sheath. "The coward!"

He leapt up into the trees and took off after his quarry.

* * *

"Where is he going?" Kagura demanded, turning his eyes to Kanna's mirror. "He's leaving! Naraku, this is not my fault! He is not my responsibility!"

The man in the baboon mask chuckled softly to himself. "Calm yourself. It seems Auron has a stronger will than I anticipated. It is as it was yesterday afternoon."

"And what do you intend to do about it?"

"This is most intriguing… I'm patient. Let's wait and see what happens. He cannot go far."

Kagura swallowed. She couldn't shake the feeling inside that letting Auron go unchecked for even a minute was a horrible mistake. It occurred to her why a moment later, as a gentle wind returned to the world around her.

* * *

In a swirl of gray mist, like stumbling through the haze between wake and dreams, it came. He blinked groggily, wondering, peering at the silhouette cast just beyond his ability to comprehend. There came a familiar voice, lost in the blur of incoherence, as if someone was trying to whisper in the language of another he could never understand.

"Miroku?" The mist closed in around him, squeezing the breath from his lungs, giving him an abrupt and final push into consciousness.

The voice, faded in the thick haze of his muddled mind, slipped to his thoughts on the breeze of the thick morning air. For a moment, he couldn't place the voice, could barely place the name it spoke as his own, as he moved his good arm up, placing his fingers lightly to the pulsing pain in his head. A low groan escaped his lips. In that moment, just overhead, a loud buzz overcame the rest of the sounds of the forest, and he wondered if that should frighten him. He found he couldn't move, as if the weight of the world had pinned him helplessly to the forest floor.

"Miroku!" This time, the voice was clearer, more distinct, almost fearful as he recognized the sound of pounding footsteps as someone raced toward him through the foliage of the forest floor. Ringing steel announced the presence of a warrior's blade, and he let his eyes crack open into narrow slits, just enough to see the blur of a slender figure leap over him, screaming out an incoherent battle cry that jostled him out of the hazy dream.

"Sango!" His eyes widened at the sight of the demon-slayer as she sliced down a swarm of angry insects. Instantly, Miroku remembered the unexpected rendezvous with Naraku's poisonous horde. He blinked and made an effort to sit up. With painstaking effort, he managed to get off of his back and glance around.

Fortunately, it didn't appear as though there were many of the insects left. _Strays?_ he wondered as he rubbed the back of his sore neck. After only a few more calculated swipes, the remaining insects, spared their untimely deaths by the call for retreat, receded abruptly back into the shadows of the Hollow Wood. Sango brushed back the stray bangs that had fallen out of place and into her eyes. "Miroku…" She slid her sword back into its sheath and started over for the monk. "Miroku, are you all right?"

"Yes, I believe so. What about you, Sango? You must have taken quite a nasty spill yourself."

Sango blushed. "I'll survive." She knelt next to him. "Let me check your arm…" As she reached out for him, Miroku froze and grabbed her wrist. She gasped a little, turning her eyes up to his. "Miroku, what are you…" Her voice trailed off as she noticed the familiar determination on his face when he focused on something in particular.

"It's that demon tiger," the monk said quietly. He swallowed and took her wrist for her to help him up. As he came to his feet a moment later, looking back to the northwest. "I think it's heading back that way…"

Sango's eyes widened. "But that's where we left Kagome and Shippo!"

He nodded. "I know. Let's find Kirara and get back over there." He paused then, looking her over. Her breastplate had apparently shattered, and the cloth beneath it was pressed firmly to her skin. The monk peered closer and blinked. "Sango…are you wet?"

Her blush went from pink to red in an instant; her arms went up to block his view of her chest. "Forget about it, pervert! We hafta find Kirara, remember!"

"Uh, yes…" He swallowed. "Of course."

He knew better than to argue with Sango, after all.

* * *

"_Kagome!_"

InuYasha's shout cracked through the morning air as he burst through the shadows to land in a crouch at her side. He barely heard the girl say his name as he rose to his full height, lip curled into a tight snarl. He turned slowly about, looking for signs of danger. He claws were twitching, ready to slice the flesh of whoever might stand in his way. He finally turned his attention to the girl and fox demon he'd come to protect.

"Kagome, you okay?"

She looked stunned as she turned her attention to Shippo, and then looked back up to him. By the furious look in his eye, she knew she probably shouldn't go into too much detail. Right now, he looked as pissed as she had seen him in some time. Slowly, she nodded.

"We're just fine, thank you very much!" Shippo snapped. "What's your problem, anyway? You just take off in the middle of the night and when you do–"

InuYasha whipped his fist about and knocked Shippo atop the head; somehow, despite a grunt of pain, the fox demon didn't burst into tears. "Shuddup, runt. I'm in a real bad mood." His eyes darted back and forth through the shadows. _He's here. I smell 'im plain as day._

"InuYasha! That wasn't very nice!" Kagome stomped her foot down and put her hands on her hips. The half demon didn't even glance her way. "He's right you know. You come and go when you please, just like that. It's just not very–"

"I said shuddup!" InuYasha growled. "That tiger demon is right on top of us. I can feel him. So shut up and let me concentrate!"

Kagome let out a high-pitched gasp, letting her bike drop as she made a grasp for Shippo. She missed him, and he went tumbling away with a loud "oomph." Quickly the young fox demon was on his feet, turning to look up at her. "Kagome? What happened?" He blinked, seeing the shocked look on her face. "What is it, Kagome?"

InuYasha knew instantly what she had sensed, and the look on her face said it all: _The jewel shard! It's coming here and it's coming fast!_ And that, no doubt, meant that a challenge was on the way. In that moment, the massive demon tiger, in his true form, burst through the thick overgrowth on a headlong collision course with InuYasha, Shippo, and Kagome. The half-demon smirked. "Finally!" Tetsusaiga's blade quickly joined them in the growing darkness of the Hollow Woods. He felt the twisting energy of the wind scar as it swirled about the blade of his father's fang.

"InuYasha, do something!" Kagome legs felt as though someone had filled her shoes with cement. She stood just behind him, eyes transfixed on the beast that barreled toward them.

"Where's the shard!" InuYasha growled.

_That's right. He needs my help too. Come on girl, do your job!_ Kagome clenched her teeth and turned her eyes to the massive beast barreling toward them. She could sense it now, as she could the day before. It was clearer now that she could focus. She saw it, a bright, pink glow, just as she might see the sun on a clear day, or the full moon on a starlit night. "There! On his spine, at the base of the neck!"

"Good! Now get the hell outta here!" InuYasha darted forward, the snarl on his lips turning to a full-blown growl. "Let's see how you handle my wind scar!" He whipped the sword around, sending three pillars of energy barreling toward the tiger, ripping the ground below in its wake. Flexing his hand into a tight fist, InuYasha watched as the wall of power slammed into its target. "Got 'im!" His celebration was short-lived, however, as the glowing energy diminished to reveal the silhouette of the demon tiger, neither in it true demonic form, nor human. Instead, the beast appeared as it had during their first encounter the day before and again a few minutes ago. Tall, bulky, and muscular, the beast turned its hateful golden glare to the half-demon before him.

The tiger demon flexed his claws, pried his jaws wide open, and loosed out a terrifying bellow that rang in InuYasha's ears for several long moments. Cringing, he waited. The tiger lowered into a crouch and started toward him on all fours. "Full of surprises, half-demon. I'm going to enjoy tearing you to little tiny bits and gnawing on your bones."

"Bring it on, vermin!" InuYasha growled, and took off at a sprint toward the tiger, lifting Tetsusaiga above his head in both hands.

And they met there, in the middle of the forest, on a collision course with destiny.

* * *

Naraku slid into the deepest, darkest corner of the cave he could find, a dank pit that stank of mildew. Here he discarded his baboon mask and cloak and sank to all fours, naked. His back pulsated, and a terrible pain—like that of a thousand shards of stone being driven through him at once—induced a scream that echoed through the cavernous chambers of his new den. Soon, the pain eased and he became as still as the dead. In a moment, the horrific scar on his back began to fester and boil and steam, until it came alive with the energy and started to push up and away from the flesh of the demon's back. Naraku's lips curled up into a slender smile.

As the chunk of flesh finally tore away from him, Naraku pushed himself to his knees. He stared down at his latest creation, still pulsing with the threads of his own life force. Already the chunk of flesh had begun grow to many times its original size. Naraku's latest reincarnation began to take shape, an eon of evolution reduced to a matter of seconds. The thing darkened to a deep black, and the tender pink flesh grew black and hard as a new skin formed. As eight legs sprouted from the thorax, and the shape of the spider was visible. Naraku smiled.

Soon, the black widow demon scampered out of the room.

Naraku's back continued to fester as he lowered into a crouch and stared out ahead into the dark, cold nothingness that surrounded him. The transformation was far from complete.

In fact, it was only just beginning.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven**

InuYasha traded blow for vicious blow with the tiger demon, though neither seemed to be quite capable of taking the advantage in their furious bout. Kagome was scared out of her wits as watched her best friend in the feudal era combat something that seemed to have no apparent weakness. Certainly, they'd done some damage to the beast during previous encounter, and she'd pieced enough together to realize that InuYasha had chased him here from another battle.

Only once did she venture too close to the battle, and in that moment she found herself consumed in the cross hairs of those large, yellow orbs. The monster loosed horrible howl that seemed split the forest in twine. Clutching her head and curling into a fetal position, Kagome did the one thing she could think to do as the massive tiger demon surged over her: she screamed.

"_Kagome!_" InuYasha cried as he dropped from the trees and delivered a blow to the tiger demon's spine and sent the him barreling over her. InuYasha landed on his feet next to her, glaring after the tiger. "Kagome, you alright?"

She was clutching her chest, fighting to catch her breath. She couldn't even grasp the wind she needed to reply, so she nodded instead.

"Then stay outta the way!" he snarled. "I gotta take this bastard down!"

"No argument here… " she mumbled as her friend darted on after his opponent. The girl's heart continued to race; she knew that if InuYasha had arrived only a moment later, he would have found her gashed open and lifeless, probably trapped in the tiger's massive jaws. She was going to have to be more careful from now on. Lowering to a knee, she gathered her bow and an arrow from her quiver. With a blink, she realized that something was missing. Glancing about, she wondered what it could possibly be. Distracted, for the moment, she slipped further away from the battle and touched the quiver at her hip. It was still full of arrows; that wasn't what was missing.

She thought perhaps that warning bells should be blasting away inside her head, but she remained calm. Her bow was still right near her, exactly where it needed to be. She was well defended. All she had to do was keep an eye on InuYasha and see to it that the tiger demon didn't come too close.

And then it struck her. "Shippo?" She glanced back to the shadows behind her, entirely confused. _Where could he have run off to?_ Kagome wondered. There wasn't time to look. The young fox demon would have to take care of himself. She had her own concerns to deal with. She watched, eyes wide with horror, as InuYasha and the tiger clashed in a bloody conflict that could end in only one way: with the victor standing over his opponent's corpse. When it became clear that the battle was moving away from her, she moved quickly forward, desperate to keep her eye on her friend, to offer help in ways only she could offer. When the battle shifted towards her, she scampered back to keep away from the slashing claws and snapping fangs. If InuYasha realized how close she was to the battle, he didn't say anything. She thought he probably did but was too busy fighting for his life to focus his energy on anything more than that. The tiger, too, was focused only on InuYasha.

It was clear, from her perspective, from the beating her friend was taking, InuYasha was not winning this battle. More than once she thought she saw the tiger's claws tearing into his fire-rat garb, but InuYasha didn't seem to be suffering much pain by the way he moved, by the fight he brought to the enemy. He was fighting not just for his life, she realized, but for the lives of his friends. She clenched her fist at her heart, tears shimmering in her eyes, watching the heated battle.

_Come on, InuYasha. You can do it. You have to_…

The pace of the battle seemed only to quicken, much to InuYasha's chagrin. He was already slowed by exhaustion from lack of rest and loss of blood. It was all the half-demon could do to whip his Tetsusaiga about in his own defense, much less mount a counterattack. Only knowledge that Kagome was nearby and helpless drove him on. The beast was relentless, each blow productive in its power and mark. InuYasha gritted his teeth, determined.

Soon, it became apparent that, in order to win this battle, InuYasha was going to be forced to take a risk. All that stood between him and certain death was a lucky swipe of his Tetsusaiga. Gripping the sword his father had left him, the half-demon bolted forward, recklessly wielding his sword. Desperation took hold as he prepared to unleash his wind scar.

His swing was cut short by the tiger's powerful claws, that swept up and tore away the remainder of his fire-rat haori. InuYasha let out a cry of pain as he was sent hurtling into a nearby tree. Tetsusaiga slammed blade-first into the tree, narrowly missing slicing into his brain. The fang reverted back to the rusty, chipped blade of a neglected katana. He reached out for the weapon, eye's wide, but the tiger surged forward again with a powerful, clawed forepaw slammed into his chest, sending the wind from his lungs in an instant.

The foul breath of a massive, man-eating tiger demon made him queasy. Blinking warily, he found himself staring into the massive, red eyes against the white fur of the tiger demon's true form. Clenching his teeth, InuYasha struggled to free an arm to no avail.

"Die, half-breed," the creature hissed as its massive jaws opened to engulf him.

"InuYasha!" Kagome was trembling as she watched InuYasha struggling beneath the hold of the demon tiger. The beast's twin tails swished in the darkness of the forest. Kagome realized then how much the thing reminded her of Kirara.

Shaking the thought to the back of her mind, Kagome dropped her pack to the earth. She didn't have the time think about nonsense right now; InuYasha was in trouble. If she was going to shoot, it was going to have to be here and now. _I've gotta distract it_…

She picked an arrow from her quiver and took up her bow. Dropping her pack in the earth there, she swallowed and turned to face the tiger demon that still hovered over InuYasha. Straightening to her full height, Kagome nocked the arrow and drew the fletching to her cheek, taking aim on the tiger. The thing was massive in its true form, making it nearly impossible to miss.

Kagome felt confident; the bow was steady in her grasp, her aim true. She loosed the arrow, which was igniting in a blaze of spiritual magic. Eyes wide, she waited for her arrow to close in on the target. The tiger didn't even know she was standing there, or that she had him in her sights.

A cry of pain followed the swift, accurate thud as the arrow pierced the tiger's side.

"Got 'im!" Kagome gave a little hop as a smile found its way to the corners of her mouth. She let out a laugh when the tiger spun away, snagging at the arrow that had pierced the flesh just below his ribcage on his right side. InuYasha, suddenly free of the tiger's hold, jumped up to snag his Tetsusaiga from the tree trunk. He never reached it.

The raging tiger whirled about, smashing his powerful right paw into InuYasha's belly, sending the half-demon flying out into the darkness of the forest. By the way of his flight, Kagome feared that he wouldn't be back in the battle any time soon. She swallowed, reaching down to pick out another arrow. Glancing up once more, she saw the demon turn.

Two fiery red eyes fixed on the culprit and narrowed.

And there stood Kagome, bow in hand, trembling before him, not ten of his own strides away. She looked to either side, desperate for a place to hide, knowing any attempt would be made in vain. The tiger started her way, snarling in fury.

Kagome dropped her bow, frozen in place.

There was really nowhere for her to go.

"_Kagome!_"

The girl turned her eyes to the path behind the tiger and gawked at what she saw. By some miracle, a snarling, silver-haired half-demon, dressed in a white kimono and red, fire-rat hamaka, flew through the air toward the tiger demon. Kagome brightened to see her friend, alive and well… no matter how furious. "InuYasha!" She clasped her hands at her chest, nearly trembling in fear. _He looks so mad. You're in for it now, you nasty demon!_

"Kagome, get down!" When she did, InuYasha swiped out, slicing the air with blades of red energy. "Blades of blood!"

That's when the thing slammed into her, sending her tumbling head-over-heels through the thick brush of the Hollow Woods. The world spun violently about before she tumbled headlong into a narrow ravine, hidden from view by thick patch of undergrowth.

Frantic, the half-demon pushed his way through the trampled thicket, where Kagome's potent scent was strongest. His heart had nearly stopped when he'd figured out what had happened to her. He'd lost sight of his friend in the moment that he closed the gap between himself and the tiger demon. His attack had been timed to perfection, as the brute hadn't even been able to prepare himself for the onslaught before shards of red energy pierced his flesh.

Thankfully, though it was hardly enough to kill his enemy, it had certainly been enough to force the bastard to run for cover. Unfortunately, in the confusion that followed the attack, Kagome had been knocked away from the scene and, at the very least, lay unconscious at the bottom of a narrow ravine, filled with undergrowth, following a violent tumble. Only after InuYasha was certain that the tiger was gone did he think to retrieve Tetsusaiga and follow Kagome's scent. He had hoped she would be awake and able to call to him. Several times he had called out her name, only to have the soft whisper of the wind taunt him with its emptiness in return. Clinging to Tetsusaiga, he slid deeper into the shadows.

"Kagome?" he murmured as he dipped beneath a gnarled tree limb. He found her there, laying atop a smashed fern embedded between a pair of twisting roots of the tree. At first he was alarmed by the way she lay there, crumpled up like a slinky. He didn't smell any blood—a stroke of luck that seemed unfathomable, to say the least—though she'd definitely seen better days.

He crawled through the narrow opening beneath the tree for a closer look. She was still unconscious, definitely battered and bruised, but she didn't seem any worse for wear, considering the nasty tumble. At least there didn't seem to be anything broken.

A miracle, he decided. There had been enough soft undergrowth that most of it had slowed her descent into the shady ravine. Carefully, he took her in his arms and started back out of the darkness. After clearing the shade of the tree, he took three quick bounds and until he was standing at the top. Three more bounds and he found himself in a comfortable little knoll, hidden in a thick grove, where he figured he could hide her long enough to rest.

Kneeling there, he lay the girl in the soft grass and patted her cheek lightly. "Kagome? Hey, Kagome?"

His heart quickened in his chest when he felt her stir. Those gorgeous eyes pried slowly open to peer up at him. "Inu… Yasha?"

His amber eyes blinked. Relief flooded through him to see she was not only alive, but conscious. "Kagome!" he whispered. "You had me so worried."

Her eyes were hazy, moist slits as she gazed up to him, fighting through tears to focus on him. Her chest rose and fell slowly, her hands fingering the wrinkles of her blouse, for lack of anything better to do. "You… came… " she mumbled through a half-smile, as if she had been cast off into a clouded dreamland she couldn't quite escape, and wasn't at all sure she really wanted to. "You saved me… "

InuYasha clenched her hand in his. His voice was soft, relieved that she was here now, speaking to him. "Of course I came for you, stupid. I need you to be with me."

She tried to blink herself awake. Tears slid in narrow streaks down her cheeks. Her breathing was deep and steady. He could hear her heartbeat, slow, powerful, desperate for life. The half-demon drew a deliberate breath and fell cross-legged at her side, laying a sheathed Tetsusaiga across his lap. "Not… stupid… " she mumbled. InuYasha allowed a small smile he knew she couldn't see.

"Get some rest, Kagome," he said gently. "I'll be here when you wake."

"Thanks… " She might have said more, but InuYasha could sense that she had already settled back into a deep, peaceful slumber.

* * *

"She was here," Sango murmured as she knelt in the shattered skeleton of a thorn bush. Several thick clumps of creamy white fur and a pool of blood were evidence of a fallen fire-cat's refusal to surrender. Leading away from the scene was a thin scarlet trail that ended after only a couple meters, where their missing friend had apparently taken to the sky.

Standing over his demon-slayer companion, Miroku studied the scene with a sinking feeling. It was pretty clear that Kirara had headed northwest, toward the spot where they had left Kagome and Shippo. InuYasha was probably that way himself, considering the path of the demon tiger. He clutched staff in his good hand, eyes narrowed.

"We should keep moving," Sango said, her voice steady despite the pain he knew was spilling through her heart in powerful torrents. She brushed her hands on the trousers of her uniform, and rose to her feet. The monk didn't look at her, but he heard the unshed tears deep inside her as she turned with him to peer to the northwest. "The others need us."

"Yes," Miroku nodded sympathetically. His heart ached for the poor girl. "Let's go."


	8. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

He was near. Kagome could feel the half-demon's gentle breathing as she slowly returned to consciousness. Blinking, she tried to focus, but came to realize that she lying in the dark, her head propped up on her backpack. The memory of the battle returned to her slowly, in chunks as she stared up for a time up to the nothingness that surrounded her. InuYasha had covered her with her sleeping bag for warmth. She smiled at the thought, thinking how sensitive her friend could be when he set his mind to it. Of course, most of the time he'd never consider to admit that he cared, but he often revealed as much in his attitude toward her.

Slowly, she pushed herself to a sitting position. InuYasha turned about to peer at her as she did. Everything ached, and she figured that she'd be covered in bruises from head to toe, but considering the nasty tumble she'd taken, she was lucky to be alive. To be with him. The tiger demon had done a good number on them both, she decided.

"What are you doing?" he demanded. She was surprised to hear how close he sounded, as though he were sitting right next to her.

Kagome didn't say anything right away; she drew her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. She peered about the darkness again. She couldn't see him, though she knew he could see her. It wasn't exactly a fair way to start an argument. She wasn't going to allow him to suck her into one. She started to fiddle through her backpack. "Where are we?"

"Safe," he replied, turning his back to her once more. "That was quite a fall you took back there, Kagome. You had me scared to death."

She smiled wearily as her fingers wrapped around what she sought. "Yeah, me too."

Light consumed the area as she flicked on her flashlight and set it between them. InuYasha squinted as he turned to face her again. She knew he was angry, and was pretty sure she knew exactly why. She wondered how long he'd brooded while she slept, how long it had been since the fall she'd taken. By the way InuYasha watched her, she didn't dare ask.

"Damn it, Kagome, why didn't you get out of the way like I told you to?"

She had to smile at that."InuYasha, I promised you a long time ago, I will always be by your side, no matter what. We're in this together. We have been ever since that day I freed you from the Sacred Tree." The girl from the future gazed to him with a small, content smile, lips pressed together as she considered him. InuYasha's cheeks flushed and he turned from her, grumbling to himself. The sight made her cheeks glow as well, so she turned her gaze away from him. Something crossed her mind, and she looked up again. "InuYasha?"

"Hmm?" He didn't look her way.

"Thank you," she whispered, watching him. "Thanks for saving me today."

InuYasha grumbled. "We did that part already."

"Oh." She smiled, though she didn't remember the exchange. "Well, thanks again."

And then she saw something she didn't expect. The half-demon drew a slow breath and fixed her with a meaningful gaze. He nodded then, a smile touching his lips. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen a genuine, friendly smile on Inuyasha's handsome face. There were often smirks, mostly devious ones when he was locked in battle, but this was a side of him he rarely displayed. He reached out slowly, taking her hand. Her cheeks flared as she watched his claws hold her hands gingerly, as if she were glass and he might somehow break her.

"Kagome, I care about you. I don't want to see you hurt, okay? If I tell you something is too dangerous, or to run away, please, don't hesitate."

She stared. "InuYasha, what's got into you?"

"What do you mean?"

A giggle sprang free, uninvited. "You're being nice."

"I can be nice," he grunted, quickly pulling his hand free of her. Kagome scooted closer to him, shifting onto her knees. He didn't try to back away. They sat there together for a time. His ears burning, the half-demon looked away. Finally, he could stand the silence no longer. "I really do care about you, that's all. I don't want to see you hurt."

"I'll try to be more careful," she said quietly, and this time, she took his hand.

He let her. Kagome wondered exactly what had gotten into him. She rewarded him with a bright, cheerful smile. They were getting some much needed rest. She didn't sense a jewel shard anywhere in the immediate area, other than her own, meaning the big tiger demon was off recuperating. They were alone. Something nagged at her though, something she couldn't quite put a finger on. Something she was supposed to remember. Nothing came to mind. That she clung to the hand of her dearest friend in the feudal era, of either era, for that matter, was enough to put her thoughts at ease.

He seemed as content as she felt.

"InuYasha," she whispered, and lay her head on his shoulder. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. Her heart fluttered, and she liked it.

* * *

"Where is he now?"

Kanna turned her mirror to Naraku, revealing Auron's path through the Hollow Wood. He was making a beeline for the cave. A smile came over the freshly transformed demon. This was going well. Not according to plan, but perhaps that didn't matter. The tiger's battle with InuYasha had been a success, despite its bizarre, unpredictable circumstances.

Kagura observed her master with a raised brow. "So, what next?"

"I am finished with the tiger. He has served his purpose."

"But InuYasha lives," the wind sorceress grumbled. "If he's served his purpose… "

"This has worked out even better than I'd anticipated," Naraku replied. The faceless mass of pink, oozing flesh continued to fester and grow even as the thing spoke. "InuYasha will follow the jewel shard. His party has been split."

"And what of Auron?"

A dark chuckle reverberated throughout the who the massive cave. Both of Naraku's reincarnations could only sit in the darkness and listen.

"He will be Sakura's first test."

* * *

Kagome watched him carefully, patiently. Her heart pounded in her ears. If InuYasha sensed it, he didn't show it. He looked so peaceful, so whole, here with her, as if waiting for her to gather the strength to return with him to their challenge. She already felt the strength within herself, growing steadily with each, slow breath, though she wasn't sure exactly how she wanted to express the courage she felt.

She'd been on the verge of death, and he had been there, as always. Next time she fell, he would be there. She felt it in her bones. It was impossible to see him anywhere else but here, right beside her. She smiled at the thought, hand clasped affectionately to his shoulder. His own clawed fingers lay across her knuckles. _Oh, InuYasha, you mean so much to me._ She lay her cheek there, in the nook between her thumb and forefinger.

His amber eyes gazed solemnly forward, staring off into nothingness, deep in thought.

A prickle of apprehension seeped into Kagome's brain. InuYasha had saved her life. He had come for her when she stood at death's doorstep, in the path of a bloodthirsty tiger demon, furious with her for interfering in a battle to the death.

Kagome had saved InuYasha's life too.

Was that why he was being so nice to her?

"InuYasha?"

He peered at her with one golden eye. "Yeah?"

"I… "

When she hesitated, the half-demon turned fully toward her, breaking contact with her. Kagome wet her lips and stared quietly. "Well, spit it out, would ya?"

"InuYasha… " She paused in her thought, offering a smile with her lips pressed together. InuYasha blinked, waiting. She was still on her knees, staring back at him. The half-demon cocked a brow, growing impatient. She could see it on his face. A soft, content sigh escaped her lips as she leaned forward, the palms of her hands in the soft earth. "I… "

The half-demon gave her a look and bent back a little. Kagome came so that her face was right next to his. She watched him. He watched back. They waited.

Her smile evaporated into a look of longing. She realized then how much she had missed in all the time she had been with him, forever walking at his side with no more than his friendship, his confidence. There was so much he could offer her, so much that he had already given to her. They had shared an amazing journey together, and yet they had never taken this step.

That wasn't true, Kagome realized as she drew a slow breath. She remembered that she had taken this step once before, when InuYasha had been left with a terrible choice by the evil Kaguya. Half-breed or full-fledged demon. With Kagome's help, InuYasha had chosen to remain as he was. For the time being. He hadn't wanted to become a full demon like that, anyway.

Kagome continued to watch him, wondering at all the choices she had made along the way. They'd been together for so long. InuYasha never told her how he felt. Maybe she would just have to coax it out of him. She nibbled on the edge of her lower lip and considered the consequences. Nothing could be as bad as the silence, she decided, and finally made a choice of her own.

_To hell with it._

She leaned forward, throwing caution to the wind, and pressed her lips to his cheek. InuYasha tried to turn away, but she grabbed his shoulders and inched closer.

"Kagome… "

She silenced her half-demon friend with a deep, slow kiss. Whatever he had to say didn't matter. It was enough that they were together.

The passion of it exploded through her, warming her soul. His eyes widened. Her fingers rolled slowly over his collarbone, through his kimono, parting the fabric until her palm rested on the hot flesh over his heart. She could feel his heart thundering against his chest. It felt so good. It surprised her how right it felt to touch his bare skin in such a manner. For the first time since she had met him that fateful day, the thought of being with him—of being intimate with him—didn't embarrass her.

At first, he started to kiss her back, but something betray him. He lay a hand to her shoulder and eased her back. He was on his feet in an instant, gasping for breath.

"InuYasha, I love you," she said gently, starting his way. Her hand pressed to his heart again. She tried to lean into him, to embrace him. Her voice was low, no more than a breathy whisper. She longed to hold him, to cling to him, to show him the love she felt for him. "I want to know you through and through. I'm not afraid. Are you?"

He swiped out at her, batting her hands away. The interference stirred a well of emotions deep inside her. Kagome wished he would say something. It hurt that he was staring at her like that. She swallowed hard, and stared back. Tears threatened, but she held her composure as she lowered her head. He'd rejected her. But why? Kagome tried to speak, but her tongue was thick in her mouth. Nothing came to her, so she simply stared at her toes.

"I love you… "

He didn't speak. When she glanced up, she found that somehow, he didn't look angry. His cheeks were burning in the dim glow of her flashlight. He watched her with golden eyes for a long time, and she was pretty sure his heart was pounding every bit as hard as her own. His lean shoulders lifted in a slow breath as he wondered at her, and then slipped off into the thick blanket of shadows.

Kagome stared, wondering what had gone wrong. InuYasha had always been shy around her when things became emotional. Sometimes it was a challenge to get him to speak with anything but his anger. But this time, she had been so sure. This time, she belonged to him. But InuYasha had other things on his mind.

And then it struck her: Kikyo. Paralyzing dread surged through the young woman. It wasn't what she was doing, but the consequences she'd laid squarely on his shoulders. No wonder he'd run away; when she kissed him, she'd forced him to betray Kikyo.

Kagome covered her face with both hands as she fought the stinging tears that threatened to consume her. _Oh, InuYasha… What have I done?_

* * *

With nightfall fast approaching, the silence of the Hollow Wood seemed a fitting companion as he settled into a sturdy limb of the highest tree he could find. His heart was still pounding as he fretted over the bizarre moment he had shared with Kagome, and then promptly fled. He'd simply wanted to be near her, to protect her, while he sat next to her in that quiet, protective grove. They had been alone there, and he had been at peace knowing she was safe. But it was not to be.

Tragic tales unfolded in his heart as the moment played over and over again in his mind. One clawed finger, just another of the many attributes that made it impossible for him to be close to anyone in his meager existence, graced his delicate, quivering lips, where that one tender soul had finally breathed new life into his tarnished heart. It was something he desperately needed, something he had longed for since he was just a boy, when his mother died. He'd been lonely so long he hadn't realized how such a love could bring such joy to him.

Kagome's kiss had sent these feelings reeling to the forefront of his thoughts. It was a new life he wasn't aware he needed, and he was damn sure he didn't want it. This wasn't the way for him; this wasn't how it was supposed to be. He was a half-demon. Solitude and bravado were his shields against a world that hated him, and she had brought that impenetrable barrier down upon him with strength that he'd never known she possessed.

But this life, the one she had brought to him, wasn't meant to be.

_Kikyo lay her life down because of me, _he thought, his clawed fingers still clasped over his mouth. _To this day she strives to take me with her to the pits of hell. But I don't wanna die. I want to be with her, but death? It's too early for that. I have so much yet to live for. The missing jewel shards. Naraku. I have to protect_…

InuYasha's heart shattered in his chest, but outwardly he didn't so much as flinch. He just sat there, broken. Conflicting emotions raged through every fiber of his being.

_I have to protect Kagome._

He lowered his gaze, watching nothing, sorrow shimmering in his moist, golden eyes. He wasn't ready to break his promise to Kikyo, that he was the only one who could protect her. But how could he protect them both? His heart ached for them, both at the same time. But that was all the more reason for him to be forced to choose.

And InuYasha had made that decision a long time ago.

He growled softly in the night, shifting his gaze to the stars glistening against the blackness of the heavens. "Damn that stupid girl, playing with my heart like this. And all for a stupid kiss."

* * *

Kagome struggled to understand the pain lingering inside her. Sweat poured mercilessly down her face and stung her eyes, making it difficult to find her way through the dim forest twilight. She hadn't been able to breathe properly for some time now, and each heartbeat slammed through her like a tumultuous explosion, as if preparing to rip through her chest entirely.

It would have been easier had he spoken to her, even yelled at her. That she could have handled. InuYasha had a way of making her realize that everything was all right simply by voicing his displeasure at every little detail of the day. If the ramen was too cold, or undercooked, he would be the first to tell her. If her insistent nagging was too annoying he would have been on the verge of a complete meltdown. If life in general was one uncomfortable burden after the other, then by damn he would be sure to remind her.

It was the silence that troubled her. At least had he yelled, she would know he would eventually let up, forgive her. When he yelled, it was just his way of blowing off steam. This time, he had simply vanished, without so much as a word, and the pain of it felt as though he had slammed his clawed fist into her chest and tore her heart out. All of this had happened because she had laid her heart out before him in a moment she was sure belonged to them alone.

She still tasted him on her lips, still felt the touch as she pressed her lips unexpectedly to his. In the heat of the moment, it had seemed the right thing to do. Now, upon reflection, she regretted her decision. The way he had looked at her following the moment of passion was a clear indicator of his thoughts in the aftermath of the whole ordeal.

_We've been together so long,_ Kagome thought as she moved deeper into parts of the forest she didn't recognize. _It still hurts to look at him and remember his heart belongs to a dead girl. She'd drag him to hell with her, but she really doesn't have to because he'd jump right in after her._

She trudged slowly along the heavily wooded path until she found him, sitting high in a tree overlooking the Hollow Wood. From here, though he was merely a silhouette against the gentle glow of crescent moon, she could see he was deep in thought, staring out over the horizon as if the answers to all his questions awaited him at the edge of the world.

She remembered a realization of a prior experience, in the time following the moment she had discovered him clutching Kikyo in the depths of the InuYasha Forest: _For InuYasha's sake, Kikyo even abandoned her life. I can't compete with that at all._ After the personal turmoil of that day, Kagome had nearly left her friends of the feudal era behind, only to decide that even if she couldn't have InuYasha' heart, she could still be at his side to help him on whatever road he chose.

Now, she felt as though she had betrayed him. She had turned him inward on himself and he was struggling with the emotions that raged inside. She closed her eyes before returning her gaze back toward the one who held her heart within the tender grasp of his fingers, knowing painfully well that he could never return her love. In a terrible moment that she was bound to regret for the rest of her miserable life, she had forgotten. That kiss, she knew, could even be the end of their friendship.

"Forgive me, InuYasha," she said, though it came out as no more than a ragged whisper. She stood there in the silence for a long while, but if InuYasha detected her presence, or even cared, she never knew.


	9. Chapter Nine

**Chapter Nine**

Sometime later, a monk and a demon-slayer emerged from the woods to find her, sitting beneath the tree where InuYasha remained, unmoving. Instantly, her friends could see something was wrong, but they didn't question the poor girl. Kagome seemed in no condition to discuss the mounting troubles that brewed inside her. Miroku set about building a fire for the evening, and Sango sat next to her, arm draped over her shoulder, taking her into a sisterly embrace.

As the small flames of the campfire began to grow, Kagome lifted from the fog of despair long enough to look to Sango's troubled face. Her concern remained. "Where's Kirara?"

The demon-slayer sighed heavily. "We lost her. Naraku's insects attacked us, back at the battle. We took a bad spill and were separated. When we went to find Kirara, she'd vanished. We're pretty sure she came this way, but there's been no sign of her."

Kagome frowned, her concern deepening. "Shippo's gone too. While InuYasha was fighting that tiger demon. I don't have a clue where he might have gone."

They fell silent. As the girls sat there, watching him, Miroku took the liberty to take the pot, water bottle, and a few packages of ramen from Kagome's backpack. He filled the pot with water and set it atop three stones over the fire to boil. Then, he rose and moved over to the girls.

The silence seemed a worthy companion, Kagome decided, so she didn't ask about the monk's arm. It still hung in the makeshift sling that Sango had made for him, though he didn't seem to be in any pain. She was impressed that he had managed the feat of building a campfire with one good arm.

Their concern for their missing friends weighed heavily on their thoughts, but none dared voice that concern aloud. The peace of the night was so fragile, they felt as though it might shatter completely for the sake of a single question to which no one would have an answer.

InuYasha remained in the tree, throughout the evening, and well into the night. He didn't even come down for dinner when the ramen was done. Kagome wasn't sure what was going on in his head, but she feared she had an idea: that she had come to make him question their very relationship. If that was true, she feared she might be responsible for toppling their friendship.

No, InuYasha cared for her. He'd said so himself. He would always care for her.

She wondered, could he be questioning the decision for them to travel together? Would he ask her to leave the feudal era, to return to the future where she would be out of harm's way? Could it be that he was ready to make the choice that would separate her from her friends forever?

Kagome's heart ached. She didn't know if that was truly what he was thinking… but somehow she feared there were fewer days ahead of her in the feudal era than there were behind. She didn't want to leave her friends, to end her grand adventure, but if InuYasha asked…

Could she?

Standing, she lay her empty bowl aside, thanked Miroku for fixing dinner, and moved away from the fire. She lay out her bedroll and crawled inside. She knew she'd never be able to sleep this night, but the others were less likely to worry for her if she at least acted like she was sleeping.

* * *

"Where do you think Shippo and Kirara might be?" Sango murmured to Miroku, when she was certain Kagome could not hear her as they sat near the fire.

Miroku shrugged, poking at the embers of the small fire with a long gnarled stick. When he replied, his voice was as soft as his friend's. "Hard to say. There is definitely something very strange going on out here. The Hollow Wood is living up to its ominous reputation." He wiggled the fingers of his left hand and found that somehow, it didn't bring the pain he'd anticipated. The broken bone hadn't bothered him for some time now. He'd thought it had been the urgency of their situation that had distracted him from his injury, but now he wasn't so sure. He had time to focus on it now, and yet the pain had seemingly vanished. He decided not to voice his discovery. "I think we should remain focused on the task at hand. We have to find that demon tiger and take its jewel shard before it can bring more harm to anyone whose path it might cross."

"And Naraku?"

Miroku let out a soft sigh. "The tiger is a formidable foe in itself. With Naraku here, we must be prepared to face him. Should he show himself, of course."

* * *

He sat there, unmoving. Deep into the night, long after his friends below had drifted off to an unsettled sleep in the safety of their campsite, he brooded. His thoughts lingered on for what seemed like forever. Mostly, he thought of the time he had spent with his newfound friends, of the adventures and difficulties they had shared. And he thought of Naraku, of Kikyo, and how both fit into the jumbled mess that had become his life, since the time Kagome freed him from the Sacred Tree and accidently shattered the Shikon jewel. Now, he came to realize that he had actually come to enjoy life a lot more than he had in his early years. Even his time with Kikyo couldn't compare to the love of life that Kagome spread wherever she went.

But it was Kikyo that for so long had possessed his heart. Not Kagome. He had to protect Kikyo in death, as he had been unable to save her in life. He had to bring Naraku to his knees, to finish the bastard before he could bring more chaos and tragedy to the land. The only way he could save either was to kill Naraku. It would also honor Kikyo's name, her life and everything that life had stood for, to see this struggle come to an end.

He had once decided that it would be Kikyo that he belonged to, and not Kagome. Now he had another choice to make, and he knew there was only one logical decision.

If he took Kagome and the others with him to face Naraku, there would be no going back. He knew he had to go alone if he were to satisfy his promises to both Kikyo, and Kagome. With a deep breath, InuYasha rose to his feet and peered out beyond the forest, to the mountain peak where he was certain Naraku waited. With morning rapidly approaching, InuYasha decided that the time had finally come. He had to go.

* * *

Kagome didn't move, but she wasn't sleeping either. She could hear him shuffling about the campsite as she lay curled up in her bedroll. She held her breath, waiting. Whatever it was he was doing—she couldn't be certain what that might be—he was certainly being careful not to wake the others. All the time she'd spent in the darkness of the feudal era forests had trained her to listen for his soft footsteps and gentle breathing whenever he might be near.

Now, she was certain something was wrong. While he was being silent, he was also being swift. She dared not make a sound as he finished whatever it was he was doing, slipped quickly past her—stopping only briefly to glance her way—and then started off into the forest. Once he was gone, Kagome sat up.

Was he leaving them?

She thought about the way he had walked past her, the somber moment in which he stood and gazed at her, before vanishing from sight. Swallowing, Kagome slipped out of her bedroll, put on her shoes, and started off into the darkness after him.

She just had to be certain…

The trip was a brief one, just west and downhill along a thickly wooded path. She used her flashlight to pick her way through the darkness, praying by some miracle that InuYasha wasn't far away. To her surprise, after only about ten minutes, she stepped out of the woods to a large spring, lit by the somber glow of a crescent moon. He stood, silent, staring out over the heated spring, searching the trails of steam ascending into the night, casting a hazy screen over the starlit sky.

But what he was doing? Had he simply left the camp long enough to bathe, in an attempt to get his mind off of his troubles? She wanted to take a step toward him, to show him that she was there, and unafraid. InuYasha didn't need to see her to know she was watching him; he probably had sensed her following her before she even stepped out into the forest.

Maybe that was why he was waiting, she realized.

Her heart skipped a beat. He had turned her way and peered at her through the darkness, watching her with unblinking, emotionless eyes. Kagome swallowed, and realized then that she was afraid after all, that she didn't want to face him like this. She'd done a terrible thing, and her heart ached because of it. And yet, InuYasha didn't seem mad. He seemed oddly at peace.

A fresh realization seized her. It suddenly made perfect sense. It wasn't that he had forgiven her. Rather, he had made a decision, and he was at peace with that decision. Her knees buckled, and she leaned against a small tree to maintain her balance. She didn't need him to explain what had happened. Everything was pieced together, bit-by-bit, in her mind. Her heart continued to pound in her ears. It made so much sense, and her heart ached because of it.

Naraku's lingering presence, his poisonous insects. Kikyo's soul collectors. The tiger demon no doubt under Naraku's influence. It all made an eerie sense, and she didn't need to hear it in words to know that it was true. InuYasha had made the decision to leave, to face Naraku on his own. They both knew she couldn't follow; she could never keep up with him. She even understood why he had waited for her. He was waiting to say goodbye. The realization made Kagome's heart leap into her throat. Neither spoke. Nothing really needed to be said. It was all in the eyes, the look that they shared. Their body language told one another that they understood. In the end, they knew they would have to choose their own paths.

_I'll follow you to the edge of the world, if I have to,_ her eyes said.

_By the time you find me, it'll all be over, _his returned.

"InuYasha," she mumbled, taking a step forward.

His expression hardened into a look that warned her to stay away, for her own good. Both knew she would ignore the warning. He turned and bounded out over the mineral pool, to the murky land beyond. Soon, he had disappeared into the darkness, leaving her alone. Even if she could get around to the other side, the bog beyond would be impossible to travel. She'd have to go her own way, and she knew it.

She shifted her gaze to the peak beyond the bog. A small mountain, some distance away. She wondered how far. Kirara could make up the distance in a short time. It would take hours for Kagome to come through to the other side. She swallowed. _I'll never give up, InuYasha. I will _always_ be there for you._ Her breast rose, and she exhaled in a long, slow sigh.

After all they had been through together, InuYasha had left her behind, and she found that she couldn't blame him. She wouldn't let him run off on his own, but she understood his plight. It would take some preparation on her part, but she was determined to reach him before the end.

First, if she was to follow, she would have to wake the others.


	10. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten 

Miroku stirred a half-hour before dawn, as he always did when bedding in an unfamiliar place, especially out in the woods. He rose and stretched, stifling a hearty yawn with his good hand as he trudged over to the fire he had started the night before. He had to gather fresh kindling and a match from Kagome's backpack, but soon he had another small blaze going. He poured the remaining water from the water bottle into the empty pot and set it on the flame to boil.

_I guess we'll have to get more water today,_ he thought nonchalantly, and sifted through the bag once more in order to find fresh bags of spiced tea from Kagome's time. The future beheld many great and mysterious things, he'd decided once, after she'd told him a little of what lay ahead. The convenience of tea bags were just one small wonder that she'd offered him.

He gave Sango a shake several minutes later, delivering a tin cup, filled with the steaming brew. She yawned, stretched a kink in the nook of her neck as she pushed herself up, and accepted the tea with a half-hearted smile. Miroku took another cup and went to wake Kagome.

He stopped in mid-stride when he realized something was wrong. "Sango!"

It was like turning on a light switch. The demon-slayer bounded to his side in an instant, hand on the hilt of her katana, already half-way free of its sheath, as she came alert and leery of battle. When she saw no threat, she slammed the weapon fully back into its sheath and turned a heated eye to Kagome's bedroll. "Where's Kagome?" she demanded.

"I'm not sure." He turned and peered into the tree where InuYasha had slept through the night. Their half-demon friend was also nowhere to be found. With a heavy sigh, Miroku rubbed at his damaged arm. Having slept awkwardly during the night, it was sore. He couldn't wait until this ugly adventure came to an end. He needed several days of rest and relaxation, something he'd never get out here in the middle of a forest he knew nothing about, especially when four close friends were nowhere to be found. "But, InuYasha's missing, as well."

"They must be together," Sango said. "InuYasha would never let Kagome wander off on her own out here."

"True enough," Miroku agreed. "But, what if it was InuYasha who wandered off?"

A concerned frown settled upon the demon-slayer's wary features. "Kagome couldn't keep up with him if he didn't want her to."

"And she left her backpack. I think we should tidy up camp and try to find them."

It was agreed. The two quickly gathered up the supplies they had used during their stay. Miroku rolled up Kagome's bedroll as best he could with one good arm while Sango dressed into her demon-slayer's uniform, and then they headed west, Miroku in the lead. At first neither spoke. Miroku wondered why Sango hadn't questioned the direction he chose. He decided not to explain. She'd see soon enough. There was really no reason to bring up the source of the demonic aura he felt spilling through the forest, so powerful that Naraku might as well have been standing on his foot.

The two were deep in thought when they came upon their friend from the future, trudging quickly uphill with a distraught look on her face. "Kagome!" Sango called, though she didn't respond. The demon-slayer shared a look with Miroku when she finally reached them, breathing heavily, tears streaking down her face. She fell to her knees before them. They both knelt over her, Sango taking her in her arms and holding her close, knowing that whatever InuYasha had said or done, it had broken her poor heart. She hushed her friend gently. "Oh, Kagome, I'm here. It's all right." She glanced to Miroku, stroking the her friend's lush, dark hair. The monk shrugged. By the look in the poor girl's face, things certainly were not all right.

"He's gone," Kagome mumbled, choking up. She buried her face into Sango's chest.

Miroku nodded, turning west. "He went after Naraku."

Sango glanced up. Kagome could barely manage a nod, but it was enough to show that she understood. Perhaps she had already known, Miroku decided. He stared grimly to the mountain to the west and he tightened his grip of his staff, held in his good hand. Somewhere out there, something dark and ominous awaited. He could feel it. It was Naraku, or a rather nasty reincarnation. One way or the other, that was the one thing that stood in their path. Find it, and likely they would find InuYasha. If they were going to help him, they were going to have to hurry.

He drew a deep breath. "I think we should get going," he said darkly.

* * *

InuYasha bounded past the bog and came upon the low, rocky foothills leading toward his nemesis, flexing his claws along the way. He sensed Kikyo—her scent was quite potent here, along the path—but it wasn't the undead priestess he was after. He ignored the scent and raced on, toward the mountain. There was something else out here, as well, a mass of demon both unknown and familiar. He wondered what was going on, but ignored the numbing anxiety that stirred within him. The sheath of Tetsusaiga bounced at his hip, and he tried to focus on that to distract him from the obstacles standing in the path leading to Naraku.

Soon, he took notice of threads of the sticky substance spread about the ground. Each time his feet hit it, they caught slightly in the goo, but he moved just quickly enough, and with enough power, that he was never stuck. He knew if a mortal wandered through here, they were have a heck of a time making their way through the foothills. It was a good thing he'd decided to leave the others behind. _Still, _he wondered silently, _what is this stuff? It's disgusting!_

Without stopping to satisfy his curiosity, InuYasha bounded onward. He flexed his claws at his side, the desire to wrench them through Naraku's flesh pulsing through his veins. The stuff couldn't be poison, at least not to him. He'd come into contact enough with his bare feet that if it was, he would have been at least weakened, slowed, in his quest to reach his enemy. The others couldn't be as swift as he was, with or without the goo strung over the foothills. Who knew how they'd respond to the strange substance.

And then, he caught wind of a familiar scent, amidst a sea of stink, and seized his attention. His heart pounded. A friend, he realized without hesitation. The thought made him adjust his course and pick up speed.

_I'm comin' Kirara. Just hang in there_…

He knew it wouldn't be long before he reached her. The trees here were no problem. Most had died hard deaths and fallen to the weight of the same goo that had been sprayed across the landscape. The thought troubled him. What manner of demon—if a demon at all—had done this? Probably a minion of Naraku, or more precisely, another blasted reincarnation. The thought only brought more rage to the already livid half-demon.

After a short run he bounded over a small grove of trees and descended on a horrific sight that nearly caused him to loose his balance.

Skidding to a halt, InuYasha spun about, wide-eyed, as he watched the display of trapped demons that surrounded the hillside. Beasts of all kinds—wolves, lizards, a panther, insects, and more—were confined by the same goo. Only now he knew what it was.

Spiderweb. Naraku. The knowledge made InuYasha tense.

Where was Kirara?

Before he could locate his friend, InuYasha saw something that made him break out in a cold sweat. The demon tiger? It had to be. He was pressed against the grove a trees, a massive shape against the shadows of the coming dawn. He edged his way toward the shape and grimaced at the two puncture wounds at the things neck. Dead, he knew. Whatever had done this—from the looks of things, a giant spider—had sufficiently done the job he'd been unable to do.

The thing hadn't done InuYasha a favor, he realized as his hand wrapped about the hilt of the Tetsusaiga. He pulled the weapon free and searched about for any sign of danger. He felt it in the air all about him, the grotesque stench of his enemy, lingering above him, permeating the air with its hot stink. Where was the bastard?

"You must be InuYasha."

He swept Tetsusaiga about, bringing his father's fang between himself and the silky-smooth purr. It stood in a mass of dead tree branches, just over him. The shape was not what he inspected. Humanoid in appearance, and naked, with smooth, black flesh. A scarlet hourglass caressed the sleek, black belly. Blood-red eyes glowed with hatred down upon him.

"And that makes you another one of Naraku's sick jokes," the half-demon sneered as he glowered back at her. He brought the Tetsusaiga to his shoulder, steadying himself for an attack. "Let's just get this over with."

A slender smile stretched over the demon spider's leathery, black lips. "So eager to die this day, InuYasha? You are so like the pup Master Naraku has made you out to be."

"Then you also know I've been a thorn in your master's side since the day I knew he existed," InuYasha growled, thrusting the Tetsusaiga at her with a hateful snarl.

"What do you intend to do, then?" she asked in her soft, velvety voice. "Blast me to itty, bitty pieces with your precious wind scar?"

InuYasha scowled. He couldn't risk unleashing the wind scar here. The bitch had Kirara, and who knew who else were trapped here as well. She might even have Shippo. The fox demon had vanished during the last skirmish with the tiger demon the night before, and he was prone to getting himself into trouble. It wouldn't surprise InuYasha in the least if the poor guy had wound up in her sinister clutches. Nor did he want to piss off the forest locals.

What troubled InuYasha most, however, was that this wasn't just any spider.

InuYasha had dealt with a Black Widow demon on one other occasion, and it hadn't ended prettily. This was a particularly nasty demon, whose venom was more potent than any he'd ever encountered. _Doesn't bode well for a head-to-head battle, _InuYasha thought. _This thing could paralyze me if it catches me off-guard. But why did it let me see it before attacking?_ That was strange enough. Most spider demons were naturally gifted in guerilla ambush tactics. InuYasha thought it would be nice if the demon had simply made an error in judgment in revealing itself to him.

Somehow, he doubted that to be the case.

* * *

"This is entirely too convenient," Miroku muttered as he pushed his oar through the water as best he could with one good arm, watching the green murk of the lake beneath them and the cragged mountain looming over the horizon. He'd been pushing with both arms rather painlessly, but he still didn't have the strength he had before the incident with the demon tiger.

"It's not like we have much of a choice," Sango replied, rowing from the other side of the raft. "Just keep rowing."

It had been a strange occurrence in itself to locate a single raft at the edge of the water in a forest uninhabited by people. The demons of the Hollow Wood didn't require a raft to get from place to place along the bog.

Miroku was pretty sure Naraku was guiding them to his den to have a little fun. He knew they had no other choice than to follow the trail. _Is it to end here,_ he wondered, _in a world unknown to me and so many others? _He couldn't even recall the mountain that loomed in the distance. He knew most of Japan quite well, and he had never seen such a mountain, south of Haranobu's small kingdom. Then again, before they'd left Haranobu and his people a few days before, he'd never been so far to the south.

But why was the Hollow Wood and this mountain nowhere to be found on any maps of the island he had come to know so perfectly over his years? It seemed beyond bizarre.

"Keep your eyes peeled," Kagome said gently, drawing the attention of her two companions. She hadn't said much since she'd found them on the path between the hot springs where InuYasha had left her behind and the campsite from the previous night. It was a relief to hear her voice, even if it was filled with dread. "There's a jewel shard out there. And it's close."

Miroku shared a look with Sango, who nodded. "Right, then," the monk said calmly, and continued to row through the mysterious bog.

* * *

"Before I dispose of you, my dear InuYasha, allow me to introduce myself," the Black Widow demon said in her velvety-smooth tone. Her voice was about the only bit of her that he didn't find appalling; though she was slender and feminine, complete with all the right curves that were all the more enhanced by her confident posture, he found the creature as overwhelmingly offensive as any he had ever encountered. Her flesh was black as night and smoother than glass, and shone as if the sun beat down upon it, though there was no sun on this overcast day.

"Well get it on with!" InuYasha growled. "It's not like your name's gonna matter all that much after I run you through with my Tetsusaiga!"

She lowered her head slightly, a bemused grin sliding across those vile, black lips. "Flippant to the last, just as I was told. And little patience." Her head lifted again as a lilting laugh escaped her. "But if you insist. I am Sakura, Mistress of the Chimes of Twilight. Now, InuYasha, I implore you… run me through with big… long… sword of yours." She ran the tip of her tongue along her upper lip as she said it, making InuYasha cringe at the repulsive thought.

"If you're so eager to die then I'll be all too happy to oblige!" The half-demon bolted forward, his weapon raised. Sakura stood transfixed as took aim for her exposed chest. As he came near, he realized that something was wrong. She didn't move; she simply waited, her gruesome smile stretching her lips even wider.

"That's it, InuYasha," she said in a low voice as the red hourglass at the belly of all Black Widow demons appeared. "Rash, as Naraku has said. Come to me now, and face the wrath of my Hourglass Strike."

Without warning, the hourglass on her belly pulsed with a flash of red light and swelled out toward InuYasha, momentarily obscuring his vision. The bloom then exploded as a stream of power lanced through it at light speed, striking InuYasha and, without pause, continuing right on through him to explode against the ground in a burst of white light.

Momentarily, InuYasha stumbled back, one hand clutching his abdomen where the power had struck him. He glared at the Black Widow for a moment as scarlet liquid pulsed through his fingers, but his demon blood began to clot quickly in the wound. Pain was no obstacle… at least, not yet. He stubbornly took Tetsusaiga in both hands and charged again.

If he could get to her, he'd take her head off with one mighty cut. Use of the Wind Scar or the Backlash Wave was out of the question; he couldn't take the risk with Kirara incapacitated, and not knowing whether or not Shippo was near. He was going to have to face this nasty demon head-on, which was something he preferred, but there were setbacks to such a tactic. After all, Naraku still loomed beyond her, in that mountain, and if this demon was only half as nasty as she looked, InuYasha knew it could be a difficult task to take her down.

She'd already struck the first blow of battle, and drew first blood.

Iron Reaver and Blades of Blood, however…

Those were weapons he still had at his disposal, along with the blade of his sword. When it came down to it, his own personal assaults were far more precise than were the techniques of the sword itself. He'd taught himself over the years to deliver those strikes with pinpoint accuracy.

He had to try it, first, without his demonic powers.

The decision made, InuYasha ran onward. He was upon her quickly, though it seemed a lifetime as he swept the blade about, taking aim for her mid-section. The cut itself was executed with demonic speed and precision.

Only after exerting a tremendous amount of power did he realize that he'd swept the blade, however meticulously, through empty air.

Her vile breath singed his cheek when she leaned next to him from behind; a gasp of shock escaped him. A slender, black hand slipped over his shoulder and easily spread his kimono open. InuYasha felt that hand, cold against his bare chest, over his heart. He froze.

"I believe you missed, my dear," she cooed.

Icy panic coursed through the half-demon's veins, not because of the fear of her proximity and how easy it would be to bite him and send her paralyzing venom into his bloodstream, or even at the realization of how fast she had been, how easily she had slipped from his line of sight. No, InuYasha feared only one thing in that instant, and that was the possibility that he was about to lose his battle with Naraku. All it would take for this bitch to bring him down was a small amount of her poison. After all, there was no venom more powerful than that of a Black Widow demon.

He spun about, bringing Tetsusaiga up in hopes to splay the creature in two, but she moved just as quickly the second time. When she reappeared, she stood at his side, in line for a backhanded slash, but before the move could register she snatched his wrist and fixed him with that gruesomely seductive smile she possessed. The tip of her tongue brushed her upper lip as she leaned forward.

"I can taste your fear, InuYasha. Makes me want to taste… everything."

"Give me a sec and I'll let you taste the tip of my Tetsusaiga," he growled.

Her hand, without warning found something else, cupping him unexpectedly at the crotch of his kimono. Her eyes, as black as the rest of her, so deeply black that they seemed to swallow the very light of day, flashed white for an instant as she gave him a little squeeze.

"I thought perhaps this was your more potent weapon," she whispered. "Am I wrong?"

"Get your filthy hands…"

Sakura was not listening. Her hourglass appeared once more with pulsating, red energy. She prepared her Hourglass Strike. InuYasha's eyes widened as the energy bloomed out and then exploded with power as a spike of energy burst through it. There was no pain, surprisingly, as that same energy pierced his abdomen and exited his back just above his right kidney.

InuYasha let out a grunt as he stumbled back, and then lifted a blood-covered hand from his waist and prepared to strike.

She was gone again, only to appear just over his right shoulder. "Foolish to resist me, my dear," she whispered, and then lay her fingers against the exit wound above his kidney, plunging them into the bloody crevasse.

InuYasha's scream echoed across the land.

* * *

Kagome's eyes lifted toward the mountain. Somewhere between the place where Naraku waited and this bog they traversed came an inhuman scream that she recognized as that of her very best friend in this life. Tears of panic filled her vision. "InuYasha…"

Though both Miroku and Sango were near, Kagome felt utterly alone.

The half-breed dropped unceremoniously into a pool of his own blood. Sakura lifted her blood soaked fingers to her lips and slipped them into her mouth. She purred in ecstasy. "Delicious." She stepped over her prey, kicking him onto his back; he was unconscious… Pity. Her grisly smile, now enhanced by the gore on her lips and teeth, spread as she lowered to a knee and wiped silver hair from his face to inspect his eyes.

* * *

"Handsome, for a mutt," she said softly. "Pity I have to kill you."

A voice came to her, then, a familiar voice that she both loathed and desired. _I want him alive._ She felt it within her more than she actually heard it.

Sakura smirked. "This is the pest that torments you, Naraku?" she murmured as she continued to inspect that handsome, young face. Hard to believe this half-breed was two hundred years old. "You're so pathetic."

_Inject him with your venom,_ the voice in her head whispered. _But do not kill him._

She chuckled. "You want him alive when he embarrasses you again?"

There was a long pause. _I have infinite patience, Sakura… but little tolerance for your impudence. Do as I command if you want to live._

"As you wish… Master," she said, though her voice was as foul as the venom she possessed. She lifted InuYasha's hand and sank her teeth into his wrist. In the back of her mind, she thought she could hear Naraku's sinister chuckle.

_Now, my pet… I have another task for you._


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Chapter Eleven**

"Hurry, Miroku!" Sango whispered through gritted teeth, quickening each stroke of the oar through the water. Despite her efforts, the boat continued to drift slowly through the murky lake. Though she ached to get to the other side, it seemed they were no closer now than they had been ten minutes before, when InuYasha's scream reached them as it echoed across the land.

Sango felt hopeless, a rare feeling for a demon-slayer with her confidence.

Whatever had happened, she knew it could not be good. No matter how tired she was, how much Miroku might ache, they had to continue on, as fast as they could row, to reach the other side. InuYasha's life depended on it. Though their friend had gotten himself out of terrible situations in the past, never before had she heard such an inhuman scream escape his lips. Whatever had attacked him no doubt intended to do to him only the worst possible things.

It was likely the tiger demon. The beast hadn't made a peep for some time…

"So these are the half-breed's pitiful companions," came a velvety voice from the shadows. Sango stopped rowing. Her eyes met Miroku's; the look of surprise on his face was enough to confirm that she hadn't sensed the presence of a demon either. "Please do not run; I would not like to have to stoop to chasing down mere mortals."

Overhead came a faint red light, taking the shape of a butterfly. Sango blinked up at the light, trying to understand its purpose.

Within the center of that light, she could see the dim silhouette of a person. Despite its shape, Sango knew instantly that it was no human being. Miroku caught her wrist then, pulling her back behind him. He knew what she did: this was a demon. A dangerous one too, considering she had snuck up on them without warning, without so much as revealing her demonic aura.

Rather than the silhouette solidifying, the light itself hardened, seeming to crystallize in midair. Sango gasped at the sight, both wondrous and dreadful at the same instant. She watched in a numbed stupor as the very air about the light took shape, confirming the demon-slayer's fears.

"Kagome, get behind me," Miroku ordered, his voice calm. The fingers of his left hand, the arm that had been broken, wrapped about the prayer beads on his right arm.

"What is that thing?" Kagome asked, bewildered.

The shape dropped to the earth, splashing into the swamp and sending waves rippling across the surface. A tsunami of black water soaked the three companions. Kagome choked on the liquid; her cough sounded painful. Sango moved to her side, despite Miroku's warning.

The monk took position over his friends.

"Stay down," he said grimly he waited for the beast reemerged. "I'll suck her into the Wind Tunnel and be done with it."

Before another word could be spoken, the very raft upon which they sat was lifted unexpectedly into the sky. Sango realized how high up they were when her gaze met the eastern horizon and the sun peeking over the mist-covered land.

When she came back down, Sango realized that her companions were no longer there… and the raft was no longer beneath her. She fell, headfirst, the land swirling madly beneath her as her own body twisted violently through the air.

The impact was enough to drive the wind from her lungs. A flash of white-hot pain shot through her. Disoriented, she groped for solid ground. When she gasped for breath, she was momentarily stunned to swallow, instead of air, a mouthful of ooze from the hideous swamp. She was blinded by the crushing pain as the foul concoction flooded her lungs.

Weighed down by her demon-slayer uniform, Sango felt the pull of gravity.

Fully submerged into the swamp as she was, and in the process of drowning, Sango knew she could in no way find her way above the surface. She knew was about to die.

A new pain coursed through her, a thousand tiny tin pricks to her scalp. Something was pulling her hair. She felt her body suddenly rise in a rush and explode through the surface of the swamp. Hands clutched at her waist and she felt herself being pulled from the swamp and onto solid ground. Thrown immediately onto her belly, she felt something slam heavily onto her back.

She coughed then. Coughed hard. The pain was almost unbearable.

Soon, she was vomiting. The thick ooze tasted even worse coming back up.

"Sango! Oh, thank goodness!" Kagome's voice never sounded sweeter to her ears. As she fought to catch her breath, she turned her eyes to another shape nearby. Miroku, his thick robes draped heavily over his form, stood between his companions and the great demon in the swamp.

The demon hunter blinked in surprise at realizing what it was she was looking at.

A spider. The shape they had seen in the sky, the lights depicting what she had thought to be a red butterfly, was in fact not a butterfly at all.

It had been an hourglass.

This was a Black Widow demon.

Her salvation had been a fleeting illusion. They were going to die.

The grim look of determination on Miroku's face, however, seemed to reject the very notion. His fingers again clasped the prayer beads that held his Wind Tunnel in check.

Before he could rip them off, a faint, flickering light appeared over the spider's gruesome head. Sango's eyes went wide as a burst of fire struck out at the spider, sending it skittering back a couple steps. "Miroku, wait!" she shouted, amazed that she could find her voice. But the monk seemed to have no intentions of unleashing his attack just yet.

"Kirara!" he said in surprise as the fire-cat descended upon their small island.

* * *

With the aid of his Tetsusaiga, InuYasha forced himself to take a few more step. His eyes locked on the mass of goo that had been Kirara's trap. Had she been set free? The half-demon rubbed his fingers against the back of his head, where the throbbing pain nearly numbed his very senses. His fingers came away, slick with blood.

_Damn. How could I have been so careless?_

At least Kirara had gotten away. His eyes shifted through the remaining demons entrapped in the spider demon's webs. He knew it would be foolish to free any of the others from their imprisonment. While some, like Kirara, might be friendly, or at the very least grateful (or indifferent) for their emancipation, there was a very real possibility that others would turn dangerously violent, whether due to the disorientation or mere hatred for half-demons or other life in general.

Even if Shippo was out here, InuYasha couldn't risk the time it would take to locate him or the battle that could ensue if he were to free some hateful, violent demon in the process.

With a soft sigh, the half-demon lifted Tetsusaiga from the ground and returned it to its sheath. He was still wobbly from the spider demon's deadly venom. He couldn't waist a moment finding Naraku; each ounce of energy lost was one less than would be necessary to take that bastard down. One of the reasons the others couldn't be with him now. If he had to put all of his effort into protecting his friends, Naraku would win for sure.

He had already come to terms that this would be his final battle. He couldn't risk any less than his best possible effort. It had to be, beyond a doubt, Naraku's final battle as well.

"Good luck, Kirara," he whispered. "May you be proud and free, wherever your endeavors take you." He closed his eyes and turned from the spot, back toward the mysterious mountain. He heard the tiny splashes as blood dribbled down his side and spilled to the ground. "And protect the others for me."

* * *

Kirara spun full circle about the nasty spider demon; Kagome couldn't see much of the battle, only the swirling vortex of fire and water and demonic energy as it spun about the massive form of the Black Widow demon. Beside her, Miroku waited, fist wrapped about the prayer beads of his right hand, ready in any instant to rip them free and unleash the horror of his cursed Wind Tunnel.

First, Kirara had to move…

Yet the battle waged on. Kagome felt sick to her stomach. InuYasha was out there somewhere, likely close to Naraku's lair even now, and they were nowhere near, fighting some fiend of Naraku's twisted creation, likely to die for nothing.

The girl squeezed the front of her blouse between her breasts in a tight fist, fighting back tears, as she watched Kirara struggle.

To her utter shock, a massive black appendage appeared out of the vortex before them, snagging the fire-cat out of the sky and slamming her violently into the swamp water. A cry of desperation and horror fell to her ears as Sango, who had been seated next to her, lunged forward. It took all of Kagome's strength to tackled the demon-slayer before she could lunge into the water.

"_Kirara!_"

Miroku stepped forward. "Stay back! She's mine!" He ripped the prayer beads free. For the first time in nearly two days, the explosion of pain of his broken arm seized him before he realized what had happened. Screaming in agony, he crumpled to a knee.

To his own surprise, he withstood the pain enough to keep the Wind Tunnel trained on the form of the Black Widow in the water. How it happened seemed completely impossible to him, though the pain had numbed his mind to the point it was difficult to concentrate.

He realized then that he was supported by more than his own strength. The weight of a dear friend, her body pressed firmly against his own, using every last ounce of her will to keep him upright. An arm had wrapped about his waist from behind, and he could see a hand clamped to his right elbow, offering the little support needed to keep it steady.

"I've got you, Miroku!" Sango growled. "Finish the bitch off!"

And he did. The massive spider seemed to be ripped to shreds as it was pulled from the swamp and sucked mercilessly into the Wind Tunnel. In that moment, the pair collapse in exhaustion. Miroku crushed his right hand into a tight fist to seal the atrocity in his palm, howling out in pain, and then quickly wrapped his beads about his wrist.

"Damn it!" he whimpered, his face contorted with pain.

For a long moment, the pair just lay there, Miroku's back to Sango as he stared off into nothingness. He realized that Sango arm still lay across his side, her hand limp at his waist. He dared not move, lest she move herself, and he realized that he liked being in this position. A feint smile briefly parted his lips, and then he released a sigh.

"That was pretty stupid, Miroku." Sango's voice seemed to think otherwise. Was that gratitude? He could swear she was hugging him from behind.

Miroku smiled. "I know."

"Hey, look!" Kagome said. Their eyes turned to the churning water nearby. A moment passed, and then, to Miroku's delight, a familiar fire-cat burst out of the water. "Oh thank goodness, Kirara! You're okay!" The girl wrapped her arms around the demon's neck. She smiled. "Kirara, I need your help."

Sango pushed herself away from Miroku.

_Oh well_, he thought. _It was certainly nice while it lasted._

"You mean to go find InuYasha, don't you?"

Kagome nodded to the demon-slayer. "I owe him that much at least." She smiled. "Besides, you two have done enough. You got me this far."

Miroku's eyes narrowed. "We'll get you farther," he said. "You two go on ahead and we'll catch up. We promise."

Kagome grinned at Sango's nod of agreement. "I know you will, Miroku. You'd never let me down. Either of you."

"At least not intentionally," Sango said softly. She stepped over to Kirara and wrapped her arms around the fire-cat's massive neck after Kagome stepped aside. "Thank you so very much. You've saved our lives… again." Her eyes sparkled. Pride and tears filled those beautiful orbs. Miroku had never before seen her in such a light before. Strong and passionate… and vulnerable, all at once. "Now take care of Kagome."

Kagome slung her bow over her shoulder, and then her leg over the fire-cat. "And I'll take good care of Kirara," she said. "And I promise you both… I'll find InuYasha, too."

Miroku stepped to Sango's side as the pair sped off toward the mysterious mountain on the horizon, looming silently over the hazy swamp and the dark bog beyond.

"What next, Miroku?" Sango said quietly. She blinked when Miroku snagged her hand, turning her to face him. He let her see the longing gaze on his face as brought her suddenly closer. Her own cheeks were bright red as she stared into his eyes. "Miroku? What is it?"

He smiled for her. The best smile he could muster. "You saved us," he whispered.

She turned her face to the side, suddenly. What he said wasn't true. "I only did what I could to help you save us. It was your doing, your pain. Your sacrifice, Miroku."

"A foolish risk that I wasn't sure would work," he said. "And if it hadn't been for you, it wouldn't have."

Sango looked up. "Then we did it together."

He smiled. "That's a compromise I could live with." They looked upon one another for several long moments. Then he touched her face. Her eyes went wide, as wide as he'd ever seen them. The red tone of her cheeks deepened. "It was so much more a gift that you gave me though, than merely my life."

She blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Sango, in that moment when I felt your firm body pressed tight against my own, it made me realize just how lucky I really am to travel with you." She blinked again, but now she had that look of surprise in her eyes that was far too familiar and often spelled disaster. He wanted to finish telling her what he had to say before it all fell apart, so he quickened his words.

"That we all share a common goal, I mean. Can you believe how far we've actually come in this short span of time we've traveled together?" She frowned, one of confusion. That was a good sign. "Our journey together has been well worth it, I think. I could not have asked for a finer group of friends. It means so much that you would all wish to travel with me."

"Miroku, we all have so much to fight for. Why wouldn't we stand together against Naraku?"

He smiled. "And we do. Everyday. And each day brings me closer to you than I ever thought possible." She drew a little closer to him, gazing up to him. She seemed so proud of him that moment. It was a pity she wouldn't see the logic in what he was about to say. "Like today for instance. We were so close in a moment of desperation. You came to me when you knew that I could never stand alone in my present condition. Thank you, Sango."

She frowned. "Why wouldn't I…"

"In our moment of impending doom, you threw yourself upon me and shed light into a cavern consumed by eternal dark."

She lowered her eyes.

"And I am ever so grateful."

"Miroku, I…"

"Come to me, Sango, for I fear the darkness may yet encompass my very soul." He threw his arms around her then. Stunned, she merely stiffened in his embrace. "It is as I thought… your body is as naturally perfect and firm as it felt as we used my Wind Tunnel together."

"This is hardly… Miroku I don't… What are you…"

He brought the hand of his good arm down to cup about her bottom.

"Miroku!" Her hands came up so fast it was surprising, thrusting his arms away from her. She brought one about so violently it nearly knocked the lecherous monk's head clean off his shoulders. "I can't believe you would do that at a time like this! You're such a pervert!" She scowled at him as he touched the red mark where she had slapped his face with his left hand, grinning like an idiot. "I thought that arm was broken!"

"It must be your absolutely perfect body. Knowing that you are near me, close enough to touch, is all my brain needs to fend off the pain."

"Oh, would you give it a rest? We have a job to do!"


	12. Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

There they were, just the two of them.

Sworn enemies, they faced off in the gelid, inky blackness of Naraku's chamber. He looked as if the demons within had finally overtaken Owiguno's heart, and his discarded human form had burst apart like a ripe melon. The stink of Naraku clung to the air, and if InuYasha hadn't been so tired, he would have offered up a wry comment. In fact, the half-demon was exhausted and drenched in his own sweat and blood. His enemy's latest reincarnation had done her job very well.

The venom she had injected had not been enough to kill him, but it certainly had drained him of his strength. It had also thinned his blood; he still bled profusely from the wound over his kidney.

InuYasha glared at the beast before him, clinging desperately to the sword his father had granted him in death. Both knew it must end here. Both knew, without a doubt, how it would end. InuYasha was far too banged up to mount an assault of any meaning, and the demons that held Naraku together were each a significant threat in their own right.

One idea held InuYasha steady as he faced his enemy, and that was truth. He had been forced to come here alone. Only he could protect Kikyo. Kagome and the others were on their own. The only way he could be sure they wouldn't get themselves into trouble without him would be to end it now. But, he could not end it in the way his friends needed. Not in his condition, blood oozing from the gaping wound where that bitch had probed his insides with her fingers.

It was the one time InuYasha had come into the presence of his greatest enemy and actually found himself at a loss for words. He knew he was about to die, and the only way for InuYasha to keep his dignity was to face Naraku as the hero he had so unwittingly become in his time with Kagome and the others.

Visions of his friends raced, unwanted, into the half-demon's thoughts. Fearless and loyal Sango, demon-slayer, hell-bent on rescuing her lost brother, hell-bent, just as all of his friends, on recovering the shattered Shikon jewel and seeing Naraku defeated. Her dear friend Kirara. Lustful and wise Miroku, so unlike any monk InuYasha had ever seen, and even more unlike any friend InuYasha could have ever anticipated. Youthful and cocky Shippo, the full-fledged fox demon who reminded InuYasha more of himself than any of the others could have possibly imagined, more so than he would ever care to admit.

Kagome. Sweet, gentle, gracious, noble. Dear Kagome. His heart tore in so many places all at once when he thought of her. How could she ever forgive him for this? She was a friend in its truest form, someone who would have given her soul to be with him, who had offered it up in so many heart wrenching moments over their time together. So close to being his lover, in truth, so very close, yet kept apart by a promise InuYasha held even closer to his heart, so close that even his friends didn't matter in the grand scheme of things. Tears welled up in his eyes as he stared at the monster before him.

Naraku.

The bastard began to chuckle, a sound that chilled InuYasha to the bone. His fists closed tighter around the hilt of Tetsusaiga, but it really didn't matter. The damage to his arm made the weapon damn near impossible to lift, let alone wield. It was the poison that rendered his arm useless. The black widow demon, Naraku's latest reincarnation, had seen to that. He figured she had been instructed to let him live, to see that he made it here alive, just so it would come to this point

In this way, Naraku could finish it in the manner of his own choosing.

"Tell me, InuYasha," his enemy said in a silky smooth tone, so rich and arrogant. "Is all this really worth it? Your friends will die anyway. Beginning with that clueless wench of yours."

_Kagome._ InuYasha couldn't even find the strength to curse the bastard's name. The blood was flowing faster now, falling to the ground like a heavy rain. The poison had run its course until it was thoroughly into his bloodstream. He was dying already, and they hadn't even begun to fight. The thought of his friends suffering scared him to no end.

"A pity it must end like this. I always found you to be an intriguing adversary."

InuYasha let the Tetsusaiga fall to the ground as he slid to a knee, drained of energy. He groaned in agony, resting his good hand to his chest as he tried to catch his breath. It came away drenched in blood. Blinking, he tried to find Naraku, but his vision blurred. Naraku was no longer a viable shape in his path.

"How does it feel, InuYasha? I have never known such suffering myself." InuYasha's heart began to pound in his ears as the blood in his veins turned to ice. He flexed his good claw. Even in his weakened state, the half-demon found the strength to snarl. Naraku laughed. "Try as I might, I could never understand. Perhaps, if you were to live long enough to see the deaths of your friends, I could witness the agony for myself."

InuYasha could not find his words, only the rage that dwelled within. Desperately, he searched his thoughts for an action, any action, that might shift the tide, despite knowing the futility of the situation. Next to him, he could feel the presence of his Tetsusaiga, beckoning him, but he couldn't even move his hand to the hilt.

_Damn you, Naraku. You coward._

Naraku grinned. "That's it. Let us see what happens together, shall we?"

Alive, InuYasha might be able to find a way to protect his friends, but in his present condition he couldn't do much of anything, let alone protect himself. He hated the fact that his emotions were at the forefront of his defenses. He wasn't supposed to let his guard down. His cold, hard exterior was his only real armor for the unstable rift between demonic nature and mortality. InuYasha lowered his eyes. He could feel his own heartbeat slowing even as he longed for an answer, a way to end Naraku's reign of terror.

An answer to which, it seemed, was unobtainable.

* * *

Kirara descended, finally, toward the gaping maw of a cave that they knew could only be the entrance of Naraku's lair. She trembled against her nagging fear that this was all a terrible mistake, but she knew she couldn't risk anything less than her all in locating InuYasha and giving him the help he needed to bring Naraku down for good. The weight of the bow she clung to only reminded her needlessly of how desperate she was to see the end of Naraku and this nightmare that was his bidding. She brought her face close to Kirara's ear as the fire-cat brought them down.

"Thank you, Kirara," she whispered. "I'll go alone from here."

Kagome hopped from the fire-cat's back and steadied her bow over her shoulder. "Now you go back to Sango and Miroku. InuYasha and I'll be just fine."

The fire-cat only watched as Kagome plunged into the shadows of the cave at full speed, desperate to find her friend. Then, as was the girl's bidding, Kirara leapt into the sky and headed back full-speed toward the swamp where Sango and Miroku waited.

* * *

Standing high above the cave on a cliff overlooking the dark lands that stretched out before her, Kikyo stared after the fire-cat that raced over the lands. She'd brought the wench of the future with her from the swamp, and then headed back. Why did she leave the girl alone here? Not that Kikyo cared, but it was odd.

Of course. They knew that this was where InuYasha had come. That was perfectly clear. She'd come in order to help the half-demon to defeat his nemesis. There was little the girl could do but get in InuYasha's way. The fool. Kikyo didn't care, though. She was dead, and soon InuYasha and his friends would join her.

Would she wander the earth forever, though, in this state of undead? A soulless creature without conscience?

If InuYasha were to die, he would simply die, but Kikyo…

She was already dead.

That was a mystery best left unanswered. At least for now. The truth would only stand in the way, wouldn't it?

She turned on her heel and marched away.

The soul collectors reappeared from beyond the shadows and glided effortlessly through the air around her. She paused. "You're sure?" But of course, she knew they were. The soul collectors were never wrong. "Very well."

* * *

Kagome's sacred arrow split the darkness with its piercing light, burning a path several meters wide through the thick goo, the Black Widow demon's webbing, she had learned. The mountain was close. Right up that path. It was too bad Kirara couldn't have gotten her closer, but they had both been worried sick about Sango and Miroku, so Kagome wouldn't let the fire-cat waste any more time than absolutely necessary.

_InuYasha will just have to hold his own until I can get to him… which he would have preferred anyway_, she thought with a small smile. That smile faded almost instantly; her dear friend was in desperate need of help. She couldn't let him face Naraku alone. _Hold on tight, InuYasha. I'm coming._

She nocked another arrow when she realized her path was closing up before her. The mountain seemed to loom closer. She stopped only briefly to take aim and loose the arrow, its powerful light illuminated the path before her, burning through both dead and dying trees, and spiderweb. How long had that beast been lurking out here? Long enough, Kagome knew, to turn the whole area into a desolate graveyard.

Somehow, she doubted it had taken long at all.

* * *

Kikyo had just turned a corner in the darkness in the path outside the cave where she knew InuYasha and Naraku were now facing off in what could only be the final showdown, when she froze, a look of surprise splashing across her face. It had been a long time since Kikyo had been surprised, but this time, there was no denying it. She was quite literally in shock at who she had stumbled upon. The look on Kagome's face revealed no less to her.

The two stood there at the mouth of the cave for what seemed a silent eternity. Neither dared to speak, both wondering who would initiate the confrontation. By the look on the schoolgirl's face, she too understood InuYasha's destiny awaited them beyond the mouth of the cave. She too knew Naraku and his minions were behind these terrible events that had transformed the forest into a graveyard.

Kagome stared long and hard at her counterpart. She gripped her bow so tight that her knuckles had gone white. Kikyo could see the girl was fast running out of arrows. She had but two left in her quiver.

Rather than comment, Kikyo looked to her own quiver, plucked three arrows from the leather container, and dropped them on the ground at Kagome's feet.

The younger girl stared down at them.

"You… you're helping me?" she murmured.

Kikyo said nothing. She merely turned to leave. Kagome lowered to a knee, scooping up the dead priestess's offering. She started toward the darkness of the cave. Finally, Kikyo spoke: "What will you do when you find there is nothing you can do to save him?"

She didn't hear a response from her young counterpart. She waited only long enough to hear Kagome's footsteps rushing off in the opposite direction.

_No doubt_, Kikyo thought, _to her doom._

* * *

"Such heart, even in your darkest hour."

InuYasha forced a growl, difficult as it was. Then he collapsed again in a pool of his own blood. Poor Kagome. She was going to die, and there was nothing he could do about it. He had resigned himself to death, but in doing so, he had forfeited Kagome's life as well. Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kirara… they were face no lesser fate. All because of his rash decision to face Naraku alone. He'd been such a fool; without a doubt there would be no correcting this mistake.

"Do you feel the darkness of your soul, InuYasha? The harsh whisper of your inner demons, struggling to break free and reign in the chaos that is your soul?"

Naraku's voice, though a mere whisper, felt as though it was spoken right above him. He blinked up and tried to focus on the mass above, but he could not detect the source of the voice. Off in the corner, the writhing mass of demonic filth that had once made up the core of Naraku remained. If the voice came from there, it had been disembodied.

"Do you hear the footsteps coming? It is the girl you love, InuYasha. Do you hear her approaching? Coming for you" The voice came even closer, grew even louder. "Do you hear? I do."

"What are you going to do to her?" InuYasha murmured, lacking the strength to snarl.

"Me? I said nothing of the sort. The question is, InuYasha, what are _you_ going to do to her. Personally, I can't wait to find out."

InuYasha's entire body suddenly went into a fit of spasms, and then was wrenched completely stiff. He loosed a terrible howl of pain that echoed through the caves. All the while it was accompanied by Naraku's sinister laugh. All sense fled the half-demon's brain, sending him spiraling through a world of disorientation. Flashes of light circled within his brain, racked so numbed he couldn't put shape to the haze before his eyes.

He wrenched again, a shrill scream echoing through the caves. He longed for death, prayed the end of this terrible pain would come.

And then, he thought, perhaps, Naraku granted his wish.

* * *

Kagome rushed headlong through the black caverns, her heart thundering in her ears. She could sense it, up ahead, the presence of the near-complete Shikon jewel. The gem that Naraku held in his possession. Damn him, that evil serpent that had caused InuYasha and her other companions so much pain. He had taken Kohaku from Sango, forcing him to wipe out the entire demon-slayer village. He had cursed Miroku's grandfather with the Wind Tunnel in his right palm, the devastating weapon that would one day swallow the monk from existence if Naraku was not soon destroyed. He had turned InuYasha on Kikyo, and Kikyo on InuYasha, damaging a precious love for an eternity.

As Sango had said just the other day, only Kagome had no true link to Naraku, and seemed to be following them needlessly on a meaningless quest. It was perhaps too late for them all, if InuYasha failed now. That was why Kagome was so determined to get to him now. She could not let him face this evil alone.

She wondered why Kikyo had helped her. If there was really nothing she could do for InuYasha, why aid her in a foolish endeavor to reach him, only to watch him fail? Kagome shook the thought away, determined to reach her friend. If nothing else, she could be with him in the end, couldn't she? At the cost of her own life, Kagome would be with him in the end. Of that she could be certain. InuYasha—indeed their very friendship—deserved no less.

A terrible sound permeated violently through the empty darkness, stopping Kagome in her tracks. Her eyes went wide with fright when she realized that she recognized the sound. It was InuYasha, bellowing in pain. Her heart threatened to explode in her chest. Breathing heavily, she closed her eyes, wiping away the tears only now starting to fall. It was too dark continue on this way, she realized. If she was going to continue, she needed light.

She rummaged through her backpack until she found what she was looking for… her flashlight. She switched it on, looked about the bleak, eerie cavern, and continued on down the path. "I'm coming, InuYasha," she whispered, an oath more to herself than to her wounded friend. She refused to give up on him after all this time together.

Another, terrible scream shattered the darkness. Kagome's heart raced even faster the moment InuYasha's screams faltered, and then stopped completely, all in a span of about three seconds. She nearly stumbled over her own feet as she tried to pick up her pace despite the fact that she was already running all out.

One thought rushed through her mind, a continuous and devastating realization that continued to pound inside her head with the same intensity of her aching heart.

_We're all going to die today, aren't we?_

She was determined, if they were indeed breathing their last breaths in this life, to find a way to make sure she died in InuYasha arms, at the very least.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Chapter Thirteen**

Kagome stopped in her tracks when she caught a glimpse of the familiar red of InuYasha's fire-rat garb. Her eyes widened in surprise to see him standing there, facing him, though she could not yet see his face. Why was he here, and where was Naraku? She realized instantly that just having him here, standing before her, was enough. For the moment. She started forward, eyes wide as she brought her flashlight up to his face.

"InuYasha! I was so worried I wouldn't see…" A gasp escaped, halting the thought on the tip of her tongue. InuYasha, she realized was snarling. Worse yet, she knew without a doubt that he was snarling at _her_. The flashlight shone in his eyes; Kagome almost dropped it when her gasp became a scream. "InuYasha! What has he done to you?!"

Somewhere from the shadows behind her came a familiar chuckle. Naraku.

"Imprudent wench. Can you not see that I have only given InuYasha exactly what it is he has always desired?"

Fear, then, coursed through her, body and soul, a fear fed by a realization that he had not transformed merely because he did not have Tetsusaiga in his grasp. Kagome was fighting the tears threatening to consume her. "Not like this! InuYasha would never want it to come like this!" Her friend was still snarling; she could see his claws flexing in the dim light that actually did reach him from the flashlight she'd dropped. They were clicking together, a loud, nerve-racking sound.

"Regardless, the day is here," Naraku said coldly. "InuYasha is no longer merely a half-demon. Like myself."

"You'll never get away with this, Naraku…"

"Oh, but dear, foolish bitch, I already have. InuYasha… kill her."

He bolted forward at a frightening speed. Kagome knew there could be no evading him. Instead of crying out and letting her fear consume her, she forced herself to remember that the half-demon at the end of those claws was not the man she'd come to know. Casting her fear aside, she stood straight and tall, puffing her chest out toward him. She surrendered herself to the knowledge that, if this was indeed her fate, there was nothing she could do to change it. She merely waited, trusting in her friend. They had gotten themselves out of worse scenarios in the past. If she could not trust InuYasha to come through for her, who could she trust?

If she was to die, here and now, she would make certain she would be looking into his eyes as he did the deed. Her eyes must be the message. She wanted only to ensure him her forgiveness.

It might not be much, but it was all she could think to give him.

* * *

"Sango!" Miroku cried.

He cursed himself for allowing his desire to catch up with Kagome and InuYasha to consume his thoughts and cloud his judgment. He'd thought rushing through the path obviously laid out for them by Kagome—marked by the obvious aura of her sacred arrows—had been a wise idea; he'd never thought to consider an ambush might be waiting for them. Now, Sango was in the hands of the enemy. The monk grit his teeth and considered the space between him and Sango's captor.

It was a strange creature, its face hideously disfigured. Long wings like that of a dragonfly stretched out from the thing's spine. It had to be a dragonfly demon, dangerous, though not as deadly as a Black Widow demon. Whatever it was didn't really matter. It was a horrid beast, and it had Sango in its clutches. His dear friend, the woman he desired more than any woman he had ever met, needed his help now, more than ever.

"Watch as your pathetic wench dies!" the beast growled.

"Sango!" Miroku reached out in desperation as the strange creature tightened its powerful arms about the demon-slayer's waist to ensure she couldn't break free. She continued to struggle, but the thing had tremendous strength, not to mention determination. The mandibles, not unlike those of an insect, sunk into the flesh where her neck and left shoulder met; Sango let out a whimper of pain, helpless to defend herself.

"_Nooo!_" Miroku made a mad dash for the thing as it continued to hold Sango in its grasp. The mandibles worked dangerously against her flesh, chewing at the soft of her neck; blood spurted across its contorted face. Sango's eyes were glazed over; tears spilled down her cheeks as she stared off at nothing in particular. Miroku bellowed her name once more, grabbing the katana she had dropped when the thing had jumped them, and rushed forward.

The demon tossed Sango aside like a rag doll as it turned gaze on Miroku. The monk raced forward, not caring in the least that he was suddenly the center of attention. Seeing Sango locked in its arms, nearing death with no means of defense infuriated him; to see her cast aside like a piece of meat further ignited a rage within Miroku unlike any he had ever experienced. Suddenly he understood: even if this last clash with evil cost him his life, he would see his girl avenged.

_Never let up_, he told himself. _Isn't that what InuYasha would say?_

Damn straight. His anger was his fuel, great enough so that he did not notice the ever-constant ache of his broken arm as he spun about, katana poised to strike, focusing with all his available senses at the demon's hideous face. Momentarily Miroku caught the sight of a swirl of flames overhead; Kirara dropped from the sky and rushed to her friend's aid. His attention was back on the demon without pause as the weapon completed its journey through the dark of the crippled forest, striking a blow that nearly separated the demon's head from its shoulders.

In the moment following the collapse of the corpse, Miroku sunk to his knees, clutching his injured arm. Black blood sprayed from the gaping would in the beast's throat. Gargling its own blood, the thing sunk to its knees. Not wasting a precious second, Miroku ripped a pair of sutra spell scrolls from within his robes and flung them at the retch.

After a sizzle of energy, the thing went still and then crumbled to ashes.

"Sango…" Miroku did his best to push himself to his feet and stumbled over to check on the downed demon-slayer. Immediately his eyes widened. "No, Sango!" He dropped to his knees, eyes bulging. His heart raced as he tried to put reason to the chaos before him.

A small bundle of fur, Kirara, nuzzled the girl's cheek, mewing, pushing her face up, but it only rolled off to the side. Frantic, Kirara mewed again, looking from Miroku to her fallen friend. There was a gaping wound at the base of her neck on the left side, where the demon had bitten her. She was not breathing. In fact, the wound seemed to be festering.

"No…" Miroku cradled his face in his hands, lost in despair.

* * *

Kagome surrendered completely to her feelings as InuYasha bounded toward her, lost in a demonic state. There was no escape. Naraku had ensured that he would revert back to his full-demon form. How cruel, how sadistic. She longed to close her eyes; InuYasha's clawed fists reeled back as he prepared to strike. Determined to meet her friend's gaze, to show him her courage, even in the face of death, Kagome forced herself to look upon InuYasha's face.

There was a flash of red in his eyes, clear as day, and time stood still.

* * *

A minute passed. Maybe two. The sound of footballs came from a distance, but Miroku paid them no heed. He no longer cared. He could only sit there and stare as Sango died before him. She was not breathing. How could he possibly expect to go on knowing the woman he loved had died before his eyes because his mistakes? His overconfidence? All the while he had promised to help his friends, to be with them when they needed him, and yet he had been too slow.

He was only distantly aware that the footsteps he heard were unfamiliar. The voice that accompanied those footsteps, however, was that of a lost friend. It was a tiny voice, a squealing in terror as it cut through the forest. "Sango!"

Miroku spun to that voice and saw Shippo drop from the shoulders of a gorgeous vixen with captivating green eyes. Her face was young and smooth, with simple and emotionless, yet regal features, as if it had been carved from the finest marble by the hand of the finest carver. Her red hair was long and lush, with a soft sheen even where there was no sun. The deep, blue kimono she wore was dusted with small, violet flowers, tied at the middle with a pale blue obi. The soft satin seemed to flow from her like a gentle breeze over a rippling lake. He knew without hesitation what she was, though he could not believe his eyes. Twin sais were latched to her hips, and she carried a staff tipped with a razor-sharp blade. A full grown woman with a slender yet powerful build, she stared at him for a silent moment, stroking the long, bushy tail, as red as her hair, daintily draped over bare shoulders. So deep and intense was her emerald gaze that Miroku lost himself for a moment, certain that she could change the course of time itself as easily as she drew breath.

Slowly she shifted her steady gaze beyond him, to Sango, and waited.

Shippo froze several paces from the demon-slayer and cried out in terror. "Oh no! Miroku, what happened?!"

The monk shook his head in an attempt to clear the cobwebs and turned back to his beloved Sango, and suddenly his heart shattered all over again. Before he knew it, he saw a flurry of blue satin as the fox demon rushed past him and sunk to her knees beside the demon-slayer. She pressed the index, middle, and ring fingers of her right hand to the right side of Sango's neck, inspecting the festering wound on the left side without touching it.

He almost reached out to snatch her hand, to pull her away from his woman, but he stopped when he saw the determination on her face. She meant no harm, of course; it was foolish to think otherwise. The realization smacked him hard, almost as painful as Sango's Hiraikotsu whenever she though his manners were… inappropriate. Whoever this demon was, she had come to help. That Shippo was with her only reinforced that premise.

"The wound is not beyond my ability to heal," she announced, her voice as velvety smooth as her features. "How long has she been without breath?"

Miroku frowned. "Three minutes, maybe more. There is nothing that can be done."

"Fool. You merely assume her dead," the demon stated. "Perhaps such ignorance shouldn't be unexpected of a mortal."

He gasped at her matter-of-fact tone and snapped, "I'm no healer! As much as I wish her to live, wishing doesn't make it so. Not when you're mortal." He lowered his eyes, shame washing over him. "There is nothing I can do."

"That is true," she said, her tone softening. "As far as her wound is concerned. The breath of life is another matter, but I don't suppose I should expect you to understand that." She slipped her fingers through Sango's bangs, to her forehead. Miroku thought she must be checking for a temperature, so he didn't question her action.

Then she undid the strap and pulled away the front of her demon-slayer armor. Miroku recalled that the armor had been broken in their fall from Kirara the day before, but the thought vanished as he watched the fox demon stroked her hands between Sango's breasts, through the cloth of her undershirt. The vixen closed her eyes, breathing softly, evenly, almost as though she were checking for something. The heartbeat. Miroku decided that must be so.

"Being mortal must be terrible indeed. I doubt I could truly live if I were plagued by your own limited abilities. Such fragile bodies."

Miroku grumbled his understanding, though he watched her hand still working, stroking Sango's perfect, firm breasts, as if she were attempting to massage the heart itself. Whatever it was she was doing for Sango's life, he knew it would be a mistake to stop her for his friend's dignity.

"What are you doing?" Shippo asked. Miroku almost jumped. He'd forgotten his little friend was with them. No one answered his question, of course. No one had the time to explain anything to a kid. The little fox demon folded his arms over his chest and plopped down onto his backside. "Figures," he muttered. "Idiot."

He popped up a second later, his eyes going wide. Miroku's eyes widened as well. The vixen had pinched Sango's nose closed and had pressed her lips over the demon-slayer's open mouth. "What are _you _doing?!" Shippo demanded.

To Miroku's amazement, Sango's chest rose and fell. He suddenly realized what it was the stranger was attempting to do. The breath of life, she had said.

Suddenly, his respect for the stranger grew considerably.

* * *

Her lips parted, but she couldn't find the breath to speak his name. She tried to take his shoulders in her hands, to tell him to snap out of it, that she was here to be with him and everything would be okay, but for some reason, her arms, same as her lungs, refused to work. She could only stand there and stare at him. Her eyelids were growing heavy.

She was comforted by the fact that she could see a familiar face before him, only dimly aware that something had gone horribly wrong. She was mildly surprised when she realized it was InuYasha who stood before her, his arm buried deep into her abdomen, nearly up to his elbow. Funny. She didn't feel any pain.

She forced a little smile. The redness in his eyes had faded away. He was reverting back to his old self. He seemed to be staring back at her in horror. She wondered why. It was a great relief that he was with her. Nothing else mattered. She'd found him. She had gotten to him before Naraku had killed him. They were together.

"_Kagome!_" he bellowed, clutching her to him. "_Kagome! No! Nooo!!!"_

Why was he yelling? She was right here, standing in his arms. He didn't need to scream. Then again, to her recollection, that was about all InuYasha ever did. When he wasn't fighting, brooding, or bitching, he was screaming at her. For some reason she found comfort even in that.

She was growing so very tired. Her eyelids drooped even lower. Somehow, she was able to maintain her smile. A little anyway. She tried to tell him that she loved him, that she was glad he had waited for her, but she couldn't find her voice. Odd. She was so weak, she couldn't even draw breath. Maybe a nap was all she needed. All her troubles could wait, couldn't they? Just a quick nap should revitalize her. She hoped InuYasha understood. They could go after Naraku later.

She slumped deeper into his arms, straining with all her might to reach his lips with her own. She was able to plant one last kiss on InuYasha's lower lip before her feet collapsed from under her. The world spun before her before she blacked out. She heard him scream her name one last time.

"_KAGOME!!!_" Despite the obvious fear in the half-demon's voice, the explosiveness of his cries, Kagome felt at peace with the world around her. Nothing could take this moment from her; it was the most fulfilling moment with InuYasha that she could recall. What an extraordinary feeling.

Her last conscious thought was that of happiness.

She was here, with him, lost for one last eternity in his comforting embrace.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Chapter Fourteen**

Just when death was sure to claim her, there came a joyous sound. The sound of the rush of wind when the breath of life returned. After a fit of coughs, Sango's chest rose and fell of its own accord as the demon's mouth parted from hers. Miroku couldn't believe what he was seeing, but he was grateful nonetheless.

Sango's eyes fluttered open and met his as he scooted as close as he could. He was on her opposite side as her demon savior turned her attention to the wound on her neck. It still oozed blood, but not as much as it had before. Luckily the bastard that had attacked her hadn't punctured a major artery. So long as the wound itself didn't get infected, Miroku knew she was likely to live.

Twice that day he had thought Sango was either about to die or already dead. Twice she had been snatched from the jaws of death. Now he gently took her by the shoulder with his one good arm and pulled her toward him, holding her head to his chest.

"Sango…" he said, staring off into nothingness, eyes shimmering with unshed tears. His heart continued to pound in his ears. "I don't believe it. I thought you were dead."

"I thought the same, Miroku," she mumbled into his robes, tears bleeding into the soft fabric.

"I should heal the wound," the vixen said. Miroku nodded and carefully lay Sango back down so that the stranger could attend to her. Where had Shippo found this marvelous creature? _Who_ was she? Why was she helping mere mortals, a full-fledged fox demon like herself?

He thought she must be an angel; she was the one who had delivered life back to his precious Sango. These were questions that could come later, of course; right now there were more important issues to deal with. His first thought was of Sango. He had to be certain she was comfortable before he headed off to find the Kagome and InuYasha. Nothing was more important than Sango…

"The toxin's purpose was not to kill, but to paralyze," the vixen announced suddenly, rubbing some sort of ointment into the wound on Sango's neck. "That demon you slew must have injected a fairly large dose into her bloodstream."

Miroku narrowed his eyes, turning his head slightly in thought. He'd been clumsy, and it had nearly caused Sango her life. What right did he have now to hold any claim to Sango's heart? The others were right… he was no more than an idiot for behaving the way he did all the time. He looked back to the strange vixen. "I have to go. Take care of them, will you?"

The demon glared up at him, but offered a nod. When he started to leave, he heard Sango's voice once more. "Miroku?"

He was by Sango's side in an instant. "Yes, Sango?" He wanted to take her in his arms, but the pain in his left arm had returned full force. He cringed, cradling his arm to his body.

Her voice was hollow… weak. "You can't fight like that, Miroku. InuYasha and Kagome… they can take care of themselves."

"I can't let them face that bastard alone," Miroku said, looking away.

"They aren't alone," Sango murmured. "They have each other." He frowned. She reached up and placed her fingers lightly to his cheek. "Right now, Shippo and I need _you_. Whatever else happens, don't you trust InuYasha and Kagome? After all we've been through together, don't you believe in them?"

Miroku eyed her, and then let a small smile shine through the darkness of his expression. He closed his eyes, turning slightly away from her. "Why Sango, I'm surprised at you."

She blinked, obviously surprised at his reaction. "What?"

"Don't _you_ trust in me? After all _we've _been through together, don't _you_ believe in _me?_"

"Miroku, I don't know what…"

He smiled. "I'm no fool, Sango. I know you're just trying to keep me from Naraku's clutches. But after all we've been through together… and I mean _all_ of us—InuYasha, Kagome, Shippo, you, me, Kirara—haven't you learned by now that Naraku will never stop tormenting us until we find a way to put an end to him? We have to stop Naraku, no matter the cost. Even if that cost is my life, I intend to see it through, Sango. Because if I weren't willing to sacrifice myself in pursuit of our goal…" He opened his eyes, shifting his gaze to her. His smile was earnest, proud. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "… how could I ever look into the eyes of the woman I love? How could I ever meet your gaze without first proudly defying that evil which threatens not only my own life, but hers as well? Naraku must be destroyed, or everything we've stood for after all this time is for naught."

Tears had filled her eyes, threatening to pour from her like a gentle, early-morning rain. "Oh, Miroku…" She looked away. "You _are_ a fool."

"Yes, I am," he said gently. "A fool in love."

Sango blinked, but her hesitation was only momentary. She fixed him with an iron glare. "You can't fight in your condition. Not alone."

"Perhaps not… but I have to try."

The vixen cleared her throat. Both monk and demon-slayer looked her way. "If you two are quite done," she said in a cold voice, "I believe I have a suitable compromise."

Miroku frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Just give me your arm, monk."

----------------

"Kagome…"

InuYasha was still clutching the girl's lifeless body to his own when he collapsed to his knees. Mere moments ago, the blood that had soaked his firerat garb had been all his own; now Kagome's had joined it, gushing relentlessly from the gaping hole in her abdomen… the gaping how he himself had told into her. The very thought threatened to rip all sanity from his world.

Tears filled the half-demon's eyes. He could only sit and hold her as he stared through the blurry haze at the serenity in her lifeless face. How strange she could look so pleasant in the waning moments of life. He knew that even if he could somehow stop her bleeding, Kagome was already well past saving. Her spirit had already slipped from her body.

"Oh Kagome… I'm so sorry," he murmured, his face buried in her soft hair. "This is all my fault. I never should have left. I should have stayed with you."

A familiar voice came to him. His head snapped up at the sound. Naraku. "Such a pity it should end like this," the thing said. No longer a half-demon, InuYasha knew. It had somehow split itself with Onigumo's heart. Naraku was now a full-fledged demon. Still, the writhing mass was like nothing InuYasha had ever seen. "Nevertheless, you will not have to mourn for long. Your time, much like that of the wench, is over in this life. You will join her in the world of the dead shortly."

InuYasha's claws flexed as the furry surged through him. "You first, bastard!" he shouted as he flung himself toward his nemesis. He swiped out with his claws, only to strike empty air. He spun about wildly, snarling with furry.

"So we meet again, half-breed."

InuYasha fixed his glare to the powerfully-built figure behind him. He blinked, wondering how it could be at all possible. It was the tiger demon from before. The beast stood now in its human form, red eyes flaming as it glared across the cavern at him. InuYasha flexed his claws.

"You bastards are going to pay for what you've done," InuYasha growled. "Each and every one of you filthy demons are gonna die for what you've done to Kagome!" He bolted forward, claws flexing.

From the corner of his eye, InuYasha saw a glowing stream of white sliding through the air gracefully, looping over Kagome's body, and then dipping down.

_Kikyo's soul collectors! _What the hell did they think they were doing?

"Iron-reaver Soul-stealer!" InuYasha growled, swiping mercilessly at the tiger demon.

There was a great flash of light as the half-demon's powerful claws ripped through the tiger's flesh, shredding the thing in that instant as if it were no more than a piece of paper. Standing over the spot where the tiger had been, InuYasha lowered to a knee, tears suddenly consuming him. He thought immediately of Kagome, and how it was a meaningless endeavor. All this time he had been fighting for the wrong purposes. What truly mattered was that Kagome believed in him, and had always believed in him. Now Kagome was dead.

He shifted his gaze to the soul collector, now glowing with the purity and intensity that was Kagome's soul, as it slid down the tunnel and out of sight. _That bitch!_

"Kikyo, how dare you!" InuYasha growled. "She never did anything to you!"

He fell to his knees and bellowed in incoherent furry.

----------------

"InuYasha's bitch is dead."

Kagura switched her turned slightly to face Hakudoshi, her scowl deepening, but he didn't meet her gaze. The wind sorceress flipped her open her fan and looked away. Her eyes fell to the glowing, white snake floating through the air, far below, moving like wisps of smoke into the cover of shadows. The smirk in the brat's voice reeked of arrogance, not unlike Naraku's own pompous tone. Kagura closed her eyes when he spoke again.

"The mutt did it himself, you know. Put his claws straight through her belly. I imagine he shattered her spine when his fist came through the other side. Bitch never knew what hit her."

_Unlikely,_ Kagura thought. _She may only be human, but she knows InuYasha like no one in this entire, miserable existence. She probably let him do it._

Hakudoshi chuckled. "Do you suppose she did? Well, that I suppose is possible. Humans are terribly sentimental." His smirk grew. "Must have chilled her to the bone, knowing she was about to be ripped apart by the half-breed she loved so dearly."

"You're a twisted little bastard."

"Why, thank you, Kagura." He turned and started off into the shadows. "Come. We have things to do. Naraku will finish InuYasha. The monk and demon-slayer must be dealt with."

----------------

Kikyo turned suddenly as her eyes widened. The moment before, when the soul collector had arrived, the feeling of dread had already sunk in. It was a sensation she hadn't felt since she'd been awakened. The reason came as soon as this new soul was delivered. This soul, of course, was different. This soul was key to reviving her spirit.

Kagome, she now knew, was dead.

The soul collector had taken what was left of the girl from the future and delivered the prize to its master, and suddenly, as the lost soul flooded Kikyo's being and came alive within her, it happened. Humanity flooded back into the dead girl's existence. A resounding wave of shame slammed through her, heart thundering in her chest. She staggered, nearly falling, only to sink to her knees the moment she'd caught herself. Slender fingers came up to wipe her cheek, where she found a trail of tears. She was crying. Sobbing, she realized. Her shoulders trembled; it had been ages since she'd heard herself cry. The sound frightened her. The very act of crying was immobilizing.

"What have I done?" she sobbed. "Oh, InuYasha…"

She clenched two fistfuls of her hakama and let out a moan of despair.

"What have I done?"

----------------

"What on Earth happened here?" Miroku mumbled as he peered down the mass of chaos below. His fist tightened as he considered the disastrous consequences InuYasha must have faced when the black widow had forced him into her snare, amidst a mass of demons trapped in her gastly web. Bits and pieces of demon corpses were strewn all about, especially along the trail of debris where InuYasha's Tetsusaiga had scarred the earth. "You were here, weren't you, Kirara? And Shippo along with that demon vixen. InuYasha must have freed you when he unleashed the Wind Scar. I wonder… was it the black widow demon he was trying to strike down?"

Of course it was. At least, it seemed a reasonable theory. Why else would InuYasha risk freeing so many demons unless he was actually trying to defeat a formidable foe? Miroku gripped his fist tighter as Kirara continued on past the grisly sight. He wondered how far the fire-cat had taken Kagome when she came this way the first time. From this height he could see no signs of his friend from the future, but Kirara seemed intent only on the path ahead, and the mysterious mountain Miroku had never before seen, the location from where Naraku's foul aura emanated. InuYasha would have headed that way, and Kagome would not be that far behind.

Miroku had to catch up to them. He only hoped he wasn't too far behind. He clutched his staff tightly in one fist as he forced himself to focus on the defeat of Naraku, and not on his own personal dilemmas. There would be plenty of time to worry about the others later…

----------------

"Excuse me… but you never told us your name," Sango said softly, rubbing the spot of her neck where the thing had bit her. The pain was gone, though it was a little stiff. It seemed nothing less than a miracle that her fingers graced warm, smooth flesh, rather than a jagged and bloody wound. They had been so lucky this beautiful vixen had come to their aid… Sango in particular.

She was standing now, testing each and every inch of her body to be certain it was prepared to fight. She couldn't believe that every ounce of pain she had been forced to endure—those terrible injuries that had threatened her very existence—had been so effortlessly cleansed from her body, and now she could move quite nimbly if need be, without so much as a limp.

"I am Zuri," the vixen replied as she adjusted the twin sais at her belt and rose to her feet, brushing the earth from the skirt of her kimono. She turned her gaze to sango and then down to Shippo before facing the northwest and the mountain that awaited them. "I am an assassin, sent by my aunt to locate and dispatch Naraku, the half-breed bastard responsible for tearing my tribe apart."

Shippo frowned. "Your aunt?"

"Yes, little one. She is Queen Keiko of the fox demon tribe, and my sensei."

The young fox demon's eyes dropped to study the tips of his toes. "Keiko…"

Sango knelt beside Shippo, placing a hand on the young fox's shoulder. The little guy seemed deep in thought as he stared at his feet. Zuri stood with an impassive expression, watching the northwest, before lowering to take her staff.

"I am going after Naraku," she announced. "If you wish to join me, you best dry your eyes and focus on the task ahead. If not, so be it."

Sango watched as the assassin strode away. She swallowed, and then considered the boy with a thoughtful expression. "Shippo… what is it you're thinking?"

"Sango, I…" Shippo turned his wide-eyed, misty gaze up to Sango. The demon-slayer frowned at the tears welling in the little kit's eyes. He clenched them shut before drawing a deep breath and shaking his emotions away. "I think that fox is my cousin."

"What?" Sango blinked down at him in surprise. "Shippo, what makes you think that?"

"Because…" The little guy peered up to the demon-slayer, biting his lower lip. "Because Keiko's my ma's name."


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Chapter Fifteen**

"Dance of Blades!"

Swirling, crescent-shaped blades of white-hot energy slammed the earth as Kirara descended toward the cave entrance. Miroku cursed out loud as he struggled to keep his balance atop the fire-cat. In their haste to reach InuYasha, to help their friends do battle with Naraku, they had forgotten their enemy's minions. Kagura floated down toward them upon her feather, her fan open, waiting to unleash yet another furious volley of razor-sharp energy. Miroku gripped his staff tightly as he leapt off Kirara and spun about to face the wind sorceress.

"It's Kagura!" Miroku growled as he peered over his shoulder to the wind sorceress. She drifted higher into the sky, but not far. Her red gaze remained on him, her fan was poised for another strike. She stayed her hand, watching his eyes as he watched hers. The connection, though not clairvoyant by any stretch, was strong enough to tell Miroku that what she had planned was not an attempt on his life. She had intent in her eyes.

The last time he had seen that look on Kagura's face, she had betrayed her master. Did she intend the same even now? Miroku grit his teeth and leaned toward Kirara's ear.

"Kirara, take us down."

The fire-cat quickly complied. When she was low enough to the ground, Miroku leapt from her back, skidding several feet before coming to a stop. Kirara spun about so that she took a defensive posture in front of the monk and snarled viciously at Naraku's reincarnation. Kagura dropped from the sky a moment later, landing on her feet as the feather seemingly vanished. That same moment, she slipped it into the tie in her hair. She closed her fan in that moment and started toward Miroku, a somber look on her face.

Miroku stepped toward Kirara, a hand on the nape of the great fire-cat's neck, calming her with the silent gesture. They stared back at Kagura as her eyes went from the fire-cat up to the monk. Her somber mood evaporated into a smirk as she closed her eyes. Her chuckle chilled Miroku to the bone, but he knew she would not attack. If she were here to fight him, she wouldn't bother to meet him face to face. After all, he was only human.

He loosened his grip on his staff, gazing back to her as a small smile touched his own face. They stood there, facing one another, for several moments before Kagura lowered the fan to her side. "You should go. Naraku has InuYasha with the cave. He will kill him if you don't hurry."

"You're going to betray him again?"

"My life is not my own, monk," Kagura replied. "I cannot destroy Naraku… but you can. You and your friends, combined, might be able to bring him down. But I fear it won't be easy."

"Nothing good in life ever is, Kagura."

"I ask only one thing in return," she said softly, turning her gaze to the ground.

Miroku's heart broke for her. "What is that?"

"Stay free." She fixed him with her most intense gaze. "_Stay_ free. You owe that to life itself. Stay free."

He held up right hand, the one with the accursed Wind Tunnel. "I will try."

"Now go… I have to reach Hakudoshi and Kohaku. They are going to try to destroy the woman and the kitsune." She was gone a moment later, in a cloud of vapors. Miroku's eyes turned skyward and watched as her feather drifted off to the southeast.

He never thought he would hear himself say his next words: "Good luck, Kagura…"

He turned toward Kirara. "Let's go."

He started to run toward the mouth of the cave, staff gripped across his torso in both hands. For the first time in ages, a furry had taken hold. Naraku had spent his existence stealing everything Miroku held dear. Life. It was not always his own, or that of those people close to him, but each of his friends shared similar experiences. All but one, anyway. But one thing was certain. Kagome cared for each of them with a mother's heart. Taking the lives of those she cared for was certainly enough for her to remain involved. She was certainly a good friend. As good as they came.

Up ahead, not fifty feet away, A familiar figure in a white kimono and red hakama stumbled out onto the path and hustled quickly to the mouth of the cave. Raven hair, long and lustrous, tumbled past her shoulders in rippling waves. Kikyo. He'd never seen the priestess move so quickly. Like him, she was headed for the mouth of the cave.

_Is it going to come to an end today? _Miroku didn't dare to make such a prediction. One thing was certain, however: things seemed to be falling into place far too conveniently.

Just ahead of them, Kikyo rushed into the cave. Miroku picked up his pace, running as quickly as he could. Just as he was about to enter, there was a flash of violet-white light ahead of him. He hit a wall of air so compact that it knocked him on his butt. From the corner of his eye, though he could barely open it, he saw Kirara, too, as she slammed into an invisible wall and tumbled to the ground.

"Dammit," Miroku whispered, staring to the sky. "It's a barrier."

----------------

Sango froze in the path just ahead of Zuri and Shippo. Her eyes went wide as the haze took shape before her. Two familiar figures, both watching her, stood in the path: Hakudoshi, a triumphant and arrogant smirk plastered on his pale face, and Kohaku, with eyes seemingly dead to the world, his chain and scythe held at the ready.

"Kohaku!" she cried as she ripped her katana from its sheath.

"That's Hakudoshi," Shippo told Zuri, the fire of anger in his eyes. "And the human with him is Kohaku. He's Sango's brother… Naraku enslaved him."

Zuri seemed to contemplate what he told her, and then drew her sais. She twirled them, glaring at the evil demon boy standing with the human. The human meant nothing to her, but what this bastard, this Hakudoshi, had done was inexcusable. He would have to die.

Shippo grasped the skirt of her kimono. "He can't be killed, Zuri. Naraku has his heart."

"Stand aside, Shippo," the vixen said coldly. "Sango… you take your brother. Hakudoshi will not leave this place in one piece."

Sango turned her eyes to Zuri, but the fox demon had already lunged forth, twirling her sais. Before she realized it, Kohaku struck out. Sango was barely able to block his blow with her katana before being knocked to the ground by an even stronger blow from her brother. His knee met her groin a moment later, a blow meant to immobilize her. Sango let loose a cry of pain, tears streaming from her cheeks, as a flash of steel revealed her brother's emotionless expression.

"Kohaku…" she stammered.

He brought his weapon down with vicious finality.

"_Kohaku!_"

"Foxfire!" A white-blue blaze, little than a flash of light, really, coursed through the air between brother and sister. Sango clenched her eyes shut as Shippo's fox magic caused her vision to blur. She twisted her head as best she could to the right. Cold steel grazed her ear, but somehow did not cut flesh. The weapon's blade rested against her left cheek. Kohaku lifted the weapon once more, meeting her gaze with his own.

He started again to bring the weapon down, but before he could finish the deed, Sango caught sight of a blur of red as Shippo lunged just over her head and slammed into Kohaku's face. "Leave her alone!" Shippo shouted as he exploded in a puff of smoke. The transformation was something like a large, pink balloon. Shippo's favorite transformation. Kohaku's weapon pierced the fox demon, never coming close to Sango, and the balloon burst, sending both Shippo and Kohaku flying in opposite directions.

Sango curled into a fetal position for a moment, groaning at the pain in her groin, but then forced herself to her knees.

"Kohaku…" she mumbled. From the corner of her eye, she saw Hakudoshi locked in a battle with Zuri. She reached for her katana, wishing she still had her Hiraikotsu. Lifting her blade, tears still stinging her eyes, Sango sought her target.

"Shards of Illumination!" Blades of white-hot light split the dismal surroundings, momentarily blinding the demon-slayer. She recognized the voice as that of Zuri. As her eyesight improved, she could see the vixen spinning her sais in each hand, and each glowing slightly red, as if the blades had been set in fire only a moment before. Sango knew instantly that they were the source of the blinding power.

Blade tip to the ground to use as a support, Sango forced herself to her feet. "Kohaku," she said as she darted off toward the direction where her brother had gone. She did not waste the time it would have taken to see if Zuri's attack had been successful. All that went through her mind, now, was the fact that her brother was here, and within her grasp.

The face shield they had found before must be his. She could see that now. He _was_ here, after all. There could be no other explanation. Her fingers grazed the shield as she continued to run. She knew without a doubt that she had to reach her brother. She had to reach Kohaku. Only recently, she'd come to realize that the window of opportunity was closing. When Naraku finished with Kohaku, he would dispatch of him.

----------------

Through the blur of unshed tears, InuYasha gazed to the face of heaven. She seemed so peaceful, so content, oblivious to the pain he had seared into her very soul. Oblivious of his betrayal. Kagome was dead, by his own hand. InuYasha could see no way that he could ever forgive himself for his actions. Slowly, carefully, the half-demon used the claw of an index finger to brush Kagome's bangs from her eyes. He wished to gaze into those beautiful, brown orbs. He'd forgotten how beautiful those eyes had been. Now, he would never gaze into them again. The life behind them had faded to oblivion. And it was all his fault.

Naraku might have found the catalyst needed to stir the demonic blood in his veins, but it was InuYasha's own inability to control his actions in that monstrous state that had, in the end, cost dear Kagome her life. Eyes closed, the half-demon pressed the dead girl to his chest, burying his face in her raven hair. For the first time since his childhood, he felt the stream of tears coursing down his cheeks. InuYasha had failed them all.

It didn't seem all that long ago that Kagome had freed him from Kikyo's spell, pulling the sacred arrow that had pinned him to the sacred tree. Now, she had paid the ultimate price for the misfortune of having stumbled upon the feudal era. She was gone. Tears flowed freely—it was a strange feeling, something InuYasha had never thought he would ever have to feel again—and he didn't much care who might see. Kagome was all that matttered… all that had ever mattered.

Behind him, Naraku chuckled. Unfazed by the sound, InuYasha simply waited. Death would come soon enough. Then he could be with Kagome again. The jewel shards were a thing of the past. They didn't matter. Nothing mattered.

Only Kagome.

"And now, InuYasha, I will grant you your last request," his nemesis whispered. The sound of ringing steel filled the cavern. InuYasha didn't really care. He carefully brushed a clawed finger over Kagome's unmoving lips. Her somber expression reminded him only how much he had grown to care for her. Foolish bitch… she had stolen his desire to be a full-fledged demon. She had instilled in him something even Kikyo had never dreamed.

She had made being a half-demon something worth living for.

How he loved her.

"Time to die, InuYasha," Naraku rumbled.

"_Nooo!_" The resounding scream of the undead priestess, Lady Kikyo, filled the void of the cavern. A trail of energy split the darkness as a sacred arrow cut through stale, dead air the corridor. As the tip of the arrow met Naraku's arm, the appendage burst apart in a rain of sparks. Naraku let out a cry of surprise.

Without hesitation, Kikyo ripped another arrow from her quiver. She was moving quickly, toward the half-demons. Fast as lightning, the arrow was nocked and away. Kikyo ran forward again, closing quickly. It split it's target in twine, raining more white-hot sparks down upon InuYasha and Kagome. When the energy faded, there was nothing but haze and the smell of sulfur in the space where Naraku had stood.

InuYasha stared blindly at the remnants.

Kikyo came close.

"He's not dead," she murmured. "InuYasha, your sa–"

He spun to her. In the blink of an eye, he snatched Kikyo from her feet and slammed her against the nearest wall. He held her there, one fist wrapped dangerously about the soft of her slender neck, snarling up at the startled priestess. Their faces were mere inches apart. "Damn you, Kikyo! How dare you do this to Kagome! She never did anything to hurt you!"

"Inu…"

"I should tear your throat out!" he yelled, giving her a vicious shake. He let her smell his hot breath on her cheek, spittle flying from his teeth. "A quick twist and you'd be out of my life forever! You deserve no less!"

"InuYasha." Her voice was nothing more than a breathless squeak. "You're hurting me."

"And you hurt me!"

"InuYasha… please, let me down." She closed her eyes and tried to swallow. It sounded like she was really hurting. He wondered how that could be. She was dead, a soulless entity wandering the world of the living. "InuYasha… look at your hands. It appears to me… you're the one with Kagome's blood on your claws."

InuYasha flinched, stung by her words. He dropped her to her feet, though she collapsed a moment later to the cold, stone floor. Curling up into a ball, Kikyo rubbed the soft of her throat with trembling fingers. She _was_ hurting. Suddenly, InuYasha felt like a rat.

But she _had_ stolen something, he realized. "Kagome's soul," he said in a low, dangerous voice. He wondered if she would respond.

Now, she flinched. He knew he'd struck a nerve.

"Spit it out, Kikyo," he growled.

A sigh escaped her trembling lips. Tears filled her dark eyes. "Kagome is dead, InuYasha. Her soul was lost to her long before my soul collectors stripped it from her corpse." InuYasha clenched his fists. A low growl reverberated in his throat. Kikyo held up a hand, leaning against the wall to steady herself. She pressed a small, fist to her breast, gazing up to him with fear in her eyes. It had been a long, long time since he'd seen fear in her eyes. What was going on?

"Please, InuYasha… blame me all you will. You need not hold back your fury. I know that, and I accept it with all the life left in me. But if you wish to strip me of this life I've somehow regained… please do it knowing the truth, and not out of mere malice or a desire for vengeance."

"Then what's the truth?"

"I knew Kagome was going to die when she came here. There was nothing I could do. I gave her three arrows and sent her to her doom, though I knew you had no desire for her to join your fight with Naraku."

He crossed his arms into his sleeves. "You could have stopped her?"

"You know as well as I how futile the attempt would have been," Kikyo mumbled, staring at the ground. "She was quite taken with you, InuYasha. As I once was."

She glanced back, in the direction where she had come. InuYasha sensed it, as well. The barrier was down. Naraku was gone. Alive, but gone. For now, it was over.

Kagome…

He closed his eyes. "I've killed her, Kikyo. I butchered her with my own claws…"

Her voice was low and somber, her breath shallow. She was in pain. "It was Naraku. _Never_ blame yourself for his doings. You lost control."

InuYasha knew she blamed herself, as much as he felt the blame was his own.

He pulled Tetsusaiga from its place in the stone wall where Naraku had dropped it. He'd recognized the sound of ringing steel from before. Naraku had taken it from him when he'd activated the demonic toxins in his blood… and forced him to kill Kagome. The pain in his palms was exquisite. InuYasha knew it was the result of the cuts created by his claws when they pierced his flesh as he clenched his fists.

"If it wasn't for me, Kagome would never have ever faced Naraku," InuYasha growled. He turned to the lifeless form of his friend from the future. Lowering to a knee, he scooped Kagome into his arms and darted away, tears still consuming his eyes.

Kikyo didn't follow. InuYasha didn't want her to.

As he neared the main corridor of Naraku's cave, he saw Miroku approaching. Kirara was with him. InuYasha tore past, ignoring them.

By the look of terror on the monk's face, he knew…

----------------

_Gone…_

Sango dropped to her knees, staring at the face shield cradled in her hand. Tears were in her eyes. Kohaku was lost again. Again. Damn that Naraku! She closed her eyes and rested her face against the piece of armor. Her chest heaving with sobs, the demon-slayer wondered if she would ever get any closer to her brother, if Kohaku would ever be free, if they could ever be a family again. No matter how close she got to him, she knew she was no closer to bringing Kohaku back from Naraku's sinister clutches. There was nothing more to do. Naraku had taken everything from her.

Behind her came Zuri's light footfalls. The vixen stood there for a moment before turning to walk away. Shippo, who had apparently been with her, dropped to the ground and scampered up to the demon-slayer. He touched her arm. "Sango?"

She forced a smile down to the little fox demon. "InuYasha must have done it," she whispered. "Naraku's minions fled again." She mussed Shippo's red hair as she watched him through the haze of tears. "You saved my life, Shippo, and in doing so you saved Kohaku from making a grave mistake. I owe you the world, even if I could never give it to you."

"I'm sorry we couldn't save Kohaku," Shippo mumbled.

She mussed his hair again. "Don't worry about it. There'll be other opportunities." She bent down to kiss his forehead. "Other battles."

"I sure hope so."

"Sango!"

She turned her eyes to the sky to see Miroku and Kirara racing toward them. She sheathed her sword and rose to her feet. "Miroku."

"Is it just me, or does he look scared?" Shippo asked.

"Oh no," Sango mumbled. She bent over to snatch the little fox demon and raced toward her friends. Something was wrong… terribly wrong. Had something happened to InuYasha? Or Kagome? The fear in her gut spoke volumes. Naraku had stolen something from them again. She knew it without a doubt.

It was only a short run through the dead forest, and Sango remembered nothing of the journey between the spot where she had lost Kohaku and where she found InuYasha. She saw the stain of blood on the ground before she saw InuYasha standing over the body. Immediately her heart sunk. Kirara landed nearby, and Miroku slipped off. The eyes she met when she gazed upon the monk's face were heartbroken.

She sunk to her knees beside her dead friend, and then lowered her head in sorrow. Standing on the other side, InuYasha gazed down to them. She scarcely noticed Shippo bawling his eyes out beside her. She knew Miroku now stood over her, just behind her. He would be offering his prayers to Buddha. She knew she would have to offer her own.

InuYasha turned and stalked away.

No doubt to be alone.


End file.
